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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24682963">Self-Destruct Sequences I Have Known And Loved</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CollidingScope/pseuds/CollidingScope'>CollidingScope</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A spoonful of medicine helps the medicine go down, Ahsoka Tano:teenage dirtbag, All The Trees Are Pine Trees, All there in the manual, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Jedi who didn't take botany 101, M/M, Mando'a, Temple Layout Provided by Plot Architects Inc, Timeline What Timeline, Yes I Have Met The Collection Of Half Truths And Hyperbole Known As Obi Wan Kenobi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:28:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>55,664</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24682963</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CollidingScope/pseuds/CollidingScope</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Cody gets sent away for some specialist field training just when things were getting <s>awkward</s><s>interesting</s> awkward, and General Kenobi must get used to a new Commander whilst negotiating his feelings for his old one. Features petulant lightsabers, unexpected demotions and Shakespearean levels of ill-conceived deception.</p><p> </p><p>GAR mandatory training modules have a lot to answer for.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan Kenobi &amp; Quinlan Vos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>64</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>283</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <em>In which Obi Wan Kenobi has some performance issues</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a rare experience, Obi Wan mused, to be stuck at the bottom of a well. Wells were not generally part of the tools of the Grand Army of the Republic- taps and refreshers being favoured on board starships, canteens and dispensers in military camps on the ground. He liked a well as much as the next person, possibly a bit more because homely rustic aesthetics appealed to him, practical things made with care to serve a purpose, but still. This was too much immersion, literally.</p><p>
    How he had got here, in a pool of dank semi-darkness, his boots and tops of
    his trousers wet, his lightsaber a mere puttering of sparks was
</p><p>
    well
</p><p>
    that was something he now had plenty of time to dwell on. It was not lost
    on him that one word contained the other.
</p><p>
    *
</p><p>
    It was never going to go to plan when there were Zygerrians involved.
    Anakin immediately defied Ki-Adi Mundi’s orders to wait and that left Obi
    Wan with the unenviable choice of following his former padawan or letting
    him go it alone, with all that rage and hurt only a former slave can bring
    to the table fuelling them. There wasn’t really much choice.
</p><p>
    “Commander Cody, get the squad to start handing out rations to all the
    freed prisoners- whatever you can muster up will be fine. Anakin’s gone
    after six Zygerrians in three skiffs by himself and I’m concerned they may
    split up and we’ll lose valuable intel if any of them escape. See if you
    can ping a location on where their ship might be and if you do locate it
    maybe treat them to a welcome home party.”
</p><p>
    Cody lifted his chin slightly, a gesture Obi Wan had pieced together from
    careful observation to mean his Commander was smiling under his bucket.
    “Yes sir” he said, turning slightly and gesturing with his gloved hand at
    two clones waiting nearby to come over. “Wanted to stretch my legs anyway.”
</p><p>
    “Very good then” Obi Wan said. He clipped his lightsaber onto his belt and
    climbed on the swoop bike. The engine roared as he activated the throttle.
    “Oh, and save me some cake.”
</p><p>
    *
</p><p>
    He estimated that Anakin was about three or four klicks ahead of him, in
    pursuit of the slavers, who were wisely jamming the instruments. He thought
    about comming but suspected Anakin wouldn’t answer, his focus narrowed to a
    point where anything he regarded as superfluous would be pushed aside.
    Instead Obi Wan glanced over the terrain map on his readout and made a best
    guess about where the skiffs might separate, and which route Anakin was
    likely to take. A moment later Cody called through with the location of the
    ship and by adding this to the layout and factoring in a branching canyon
    in the valley ahead he made his decision. Banking right at the crest of the
    next hill he started on an intercept route, hoping his predictive skills
    were up to the task. Otherwise this was just a nice bike in the prairies
    and all he’d catch was a bit of sun.
</p><p>
    Grassland turned to tilled fields as his bike headed deeper into what he
    deduced must be the beginnings of a small settlement. Far off in the
    distance he thought he could make out a smattering of huts. His hunch about
    the Zygerrians proved right when a vehicle shot out of the treeline ahead
    of him and swung away. Obi Wan activated his comms.
</p><p>
    “Anakin, I am in pursuit of the one of the breakaways.”
</p><p>
    Anakin’s voice came thorough his transponder “I’ve lost one of them but am
    pursuing the other. Be careful, Obi Wan, they’ve got blasters and every
    reason to avoid capture.”
</p><p>
    “I shall bear that in mind. Cody has the co-ordinates for their ship so
    hopefully he’ll pick up the loose pair. And Anakin?”
</p><p>
    “Yes master?”
</p><p>
    “Remember Master Mundi wants them alive.”
</p><p>
    The line was silent for a moment. “I will try to remember that” came the
    eventual, reluctant reply.
</p><p>
    Obi Wan leant on the throttle and reached down for his lightsaber. He could
    make out two figures, one driving and the other, having obviously noticed
    on the scanner they were being pursued, now turning to fire his blaster.
    The jedi deflected the bolts and targeted them back into one of the engine
    ports, causing the vehicle to jump and start leaking smoke. Half a klick
    later and it was decelerating. As soon as he was within range Obi Wan leapt
    from his swoop bike, kicking out at the armed Zygerrian who promptly
    tumbled from the vehicle. The driver at least showed some savvy by bracing
    against the dash and slamming on the breaks, throwing the jedi over the
    top, but not before Obi Wan managed to slash off the front stabiliser. The
    transport was going nowhere.
</p><p>
    He managed to roll as he landed in some long grass and find his feet just
    in time to block another barrage of blaster fire. Unfortunately, one of the
    deflected bolts hit the Zygerrian driver full in the chest and he fell to
    the ground, unmoving.
</p><p>
    “Damn” Obi Wan cursed and began scanning the horizon for the fallen guard.
    He spotted movement to the East and set off at a run.
</p><p>
    The remaining Zygerrian had quickly figured out what any three-year-old
    clone could tell you: it’s impossible to run and fire behind you and be any
    good at both- you have to choose. He had decided to run. A moment later
    he’d reached the only real cover around, a low stone structure which Obi
    Wan eventually concluded was a well.
</p><p>
    “Surrender now and I promise you will be treated fairly” the jedi called
    out, earning himself three more blaster bolts from the now stationary
    opponent. He parried the bolts, directing the third back at the shooter’s
    forearm. He heard a yelp of pain and a clatter as the blaster disappeared
    neatly down the well.
</p><p>
    “There’s nowhere to go, it’s over my friend” he said, slowing to a walk,
    lowering his lightsaber and activating his communicator.
</p><p>
    “Cody.”
</p><p>
    “General.”
</p><p>
    “I have one of the slavers in custody, but alas the only viable transport
    seems to have departed ways with its ability to go anywhere.”
</p><p>
    “That was careless of it.”
</p><p>
    “Indeed.”
</p><p>
    “Well the General has his two prisoners, no sign of the last pair yet. Your
    quarry may have commed them to his position so be careful.” Obi Wan hoped
    not. This Zygerrian was big, as befitted a culture that valued strength and
    physical prowess. Armed, he was confident he could handle three at a push,
    but he’d rather not.
</p><p>
    The Zygerrian growled, loud enough for the Commander to hear through the
    comm. “In another world this goes differently, jedi” he called out “And
    your pretty mouth earns me a bounty of credits.”
</p><p>
    Obi Wan sighed. “Pretend you didn’t hear that, Cody.”
</p><p>
    He heard a small huff across the comm. “You have a beard sir. I don’t see
    how he could make an informed judgement.”
</p><p>
    Obi Wan laughed as he ended the transmission. “Now I don’t happen to have
    any cuffs on me at the moment, so how about we just…”
</p><p>
    He was cut off by the sudden appearance of a shock whip out of the folds of
    the slaver’s robes. Its well-aimed, fiery coil sprung out and wrapped
    around the jedi’s wrist, burning his glove. The Zygerrian jerked hard and,
    off balance and unprepared, Obi Wan lurched forward and into the body of
    the slaver.
</p><p>
    The Zygerrian grabbed his lightsaber wrist and slammed it down onto the
    stone surface of the well so hard Obi Wan felt something break. He
    instinctively uncurled his wounded hand and managed to drop his saber down
    into the depths.
</p><p>
    Oh, that wasn’t good.
</p><p>
    He forced a sharp elbow up into the slaver’s ribs, which gave him enough
    space to peel away from the tight grip and turn to gain more stable
    footing. He Force jumped up and over the well, pivoting on the bucket beam
    with his good hand just as the crack of the shock whip seared the air where
    he’d just been. He rolled away into the grass, found his feet once again
    and reached out his hand for his lightsaber.
</p><p>
    It didn’t come.
</p><p>
    In his heart he wasn’t surprised.
</p><p>
    This had been happening a lot recently.
</p><p>
    “No fancy weapon to help you out, jedi” the guard gloated.
</p><p>
    “No.” Obi Wan replied. “I suppose we’ll have to do this the rustic way.”
</p><p>
    The Zygerrian took a moment to look puzzled, then adjusted something on his
    shock whip. “Need a little bit more juice than I predicted” he said.
    “Though I think you’ll find this new setting very stimulating.”
</p><p>
    Obi Wan Force pushed him hard against the well, then yanked the dangling
    bucket down to cover the assailant’s head. Whilst he was struggling to
    remove it he threw him across the grass and into a very handily placed
    tree, where the body made a satisfied thunk then slumped down into a pile.
    Having learned from being over-confident last time, Obi Wan approached
    carefully, looking for signs of movement. He really hoped he hadn’t
    accidentally killed this one too, although admittedly the galaxy was better
    off with two less people who measured lives in terms of credits. He used
    the toe of his boot to kick away the deactivated whip and then knelt and
    examined the damage. Out cold but alive.
</p><p>
    He glanced back at the well. “Not to stir up a Mynock’s nest for the
    locals, but….” He’d already dented the bucket so he may as well totally
    write off the rest of the structure. The rope would hold his prisoner for
    the time being, although using it thus meant a long shimmy down the
    slippery walls if he wanted his lightsaber back.
</p><p>
    He eased down into the darkness, bracing against the damp walls as he went.
    It was deeper than he had predicted and he took his time, enjoying the way
    the temperature dropped and the light changed as he descended, the way
    sound narrowed to just his own movements and the quiet drip, drip of
    moisture. There was something Force comforting about this little sanctuary,
    with its age-worn stone and the natural spring water pooling somewhere
    below him. He dropped the final half metre or so and the water soaked up to
    the tops of his boots and the cuffs of his trousers.
</p><p>
    Okay well that was less comforting.
</p><p>
    He breathed in the mossy air and closed his eyes, keeping the palm of his
    uninjured hand where it was, flat against the stones, not yet completing
    his reason for being down here by reaching into the water.
</p><p>
    This was a good place to take a moment and reflect.
</p><p>
  <em>To maybe even remember that moment in the escape pod before they were rescued. Cody, so close, then letting go of his arm, stepping away; the shards of their destroyed flagship still flickering brightly in the nothing of space: Obi Wan’s entire emotions as rearranged as the view.   </em>
</p><p>
    *
</p><p>
    The sound of an engine far off filtered down and drew him out of his
    thoughts. Someone was approaching but whether it was Ghost Company or the
    missing Zygerrians he had no way of knowing. He closed his eyes for a
    moment and reached out with his feelings, trying to find Cody’s force
    signature, but since he hadn’t been able to do that since….well….for a
    while, he just couldn’t tell. He concentrated on what he could hear
    instead. The engine cut off and then there were voices.
</p><p>
    Yes, that sounded like a Zygerrian.
</p><p>
    He fished around in the wet for his lightsaber, gave it an optimistic shake
    and pressed the activator. It spluttered and a pitiful blue stub tried its
    best to come to fruition but quickly gave up. No joy there. Time to find
    that blaster and hope it was slightly more robust, though there was no way
    of knowing until he pulled the trigger.
</p><p>
    He weighed up Force leaping out of the well and firing as soon as he
    emerged, but it was narrow, the sudden change from darkness to light was
    going to blind him for a moment and he hated jumping into the unknown.
    There were two of them unaccounted for from the camp but what if there were
    others on the ship and they’d joined forces before Cody got to them? His
    best hope was (if the blasted blaster worked- Force, he hated blasters) to
    pick off whoever was foolish enough to put his face over a well, then leap
    out and engage however many were left.
</p><p>
    It was a terrible plan, and Obi Wan knew it. Maybe he could surrender
    instead. Except he’d been a Zygerrian slave before, thank you very much,
    and he was not going through that hell again.
</p><p>
    No. The plan was fire, leap, and then improvise. It would have to do.
</p><p>
    The Zygerrian voice called out again, angry sounding- presumably, they’d
    found his prisoner. He bent his knees, ready and raised the gun, hoping his
    probably broken knuckle was up for a bit more pain.
</p><p>
    A shape broke the circle of the well mouth, someone leaning in. Obi Wan
    squeezed the trigger and the world above him exploded in sound and light.
</p><p>
    There was a yell and the sound of a body falling onto the ground. Then more
    yelling. From voices that sounded awfully familiar.
</p><p>
    “There’s someone in the kriffing well!”
</p><p>
    “What the stang!”
</p><p>
    “I need a medpac, stat!”
</p><p>
    “Get back everyone!”
</p><p>
    Oh dear.
</p><p>
    Obi Wan lowered the blaster and took a deep breath.
</p><p>
    This was not good.
</p><p>
    He cleared his throat, tilted his head and called out “Hello there?”
</p><p>
    The silence seemed to last an age, but maybe time passes differently when
    you are at the bottom of a well. Eventually a lone Clone helmet tentatively
    appeared.
</p><p>
    “General, is that you?”
</p><p>
    “I’m afraid it is. Who’s that?”
</p><p>
    “It’s Waxer, sir.”
</p><p>
    “Is Cody there, Waxer?”
</p><p>
    Another pause. “Yes sir. Except you er…well…”
</p><p>
    Oh Force.
</p><p>
    “No, no sir! He’s alright. You just winged him is all. Do you want me to
    get him?”
</p><p>
    Obi Wan considered the pros and cons of staying put.
</p><p>
    *
</p><p>
    The ride back to their gunship to meet Master Mundi wasn’t long, but it was
    awkward. They scooped up Anakin and his prisoners, and added them to Obi
    Wan’s still unconscious one and the two the squad had captured moments
    before arriving at Obi Wan’s co-ordinates for a pickup. That explained the
    Zygerrian voices he’d heard. He had offered this up as an excuse but at the
    end of the day he was sat across from the recently almost murdered Marshall
    Commander of the 212<sup>th</sup> Battalion and three of his most loyal
    brothers- and Obi Wan’s fingerprints were all over the trigger. If he
    lifted his head, he could see the blackened scorch marks on Cody’s helmet.
    Instead he pondered his wet boots.
</p><p>
    “What I don’t get” Anakin said blithely “Was why you had to climb down the
    well to get your lightsaber. Why didn’t you just summon it?”
</p><p>
    Obi Wan let that one go. He was already embarrassed, damp, his hand hurt,
    and he was pretty sure Cody was glaring at him. Sometimes the Commander
    took getting shot very personally.
</p><p>
    “And another thing” Anakin went on “Didn’t you think to check who it was
    before just blasting away?”
</p><p>
    “I already told you I heard Zygerrians” he grumbled.
</p><p>
    “Do you think there was something in the well that was blocking your force
    abilities?”
</p><p>
    “Like what?”
</p><p>
    “I don’t know. Like, some sort of anti-Force moss.”
</p><p>
    Really, this was a very awkward ride for everyone.
</p><p>
    Obi Wan sighed and risked looking up. “Once again Commander, I offer my
    humblest apologies.”
</p><p>
    The Commander gave a small assenting nod then reached forward and tugged
    Obi Wan’s hand out from where he’d been concealing it in his sleeve.
</p><p>
    “What are you doing?”
</p><p>
    “You’re hurt.”
</p><p>
    “Oh, yes”
</p><p>
    Anakin frowned, concerned. “You are?”
</p><p>
    “It’s nothing.” He wasn’t surprised Cody had spotted something was wrong.
    He was used to witnessing the Commander doing a quick visual sweep of
    everybody who climbed into an evac, assessing in the moment the injuries
    and mental health of his vode. He did it with Obi Wan as well, and after
    two years fighting side by side he was very, very good at it, though it was
    a bone of contention- sometimes literally- between them that Obi Wan was
    want to not translate this as an order to get to a medic.
</p><p>
    “Take off your glove, General.”
</p><p>
    Obi Wan complied. His third and fourth knuckle were already a vivid shade
    of purple.
</p><p>
    Anakin winced. “Ouch.”
</p><p>
    Obi Wan heard Cody breathe deeply and disapprovingly through his helmet-
    the disapproval likely shared out between the Zygerrian who’d caused the
    damage and Obi Wan himself for being, well, a di’kut in one way or another,
    some or often most of the time, ever since a fresher-faced General Kenobi
    had strolled down that landing ramp and into his hanger. Rex had a tally on
    his helmet devoted to Tactical Droid kills. Obi Wan suspected Cody had a
    tally somewhere devoted to days just like this.
</p><p>
    The Commander released his hand and sighed. “Well Sir, at least you have a
    good reason for dropping your lightsaber this time.”
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <em>In which Obi Wan Kenobi is no longer the designated driver</em>
</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Anaxes Shipyard director Lope Fitz watched the small Republic craft begin its landing descent. She started to scan the surface for any tell-tale signs the passengers had met trouble coming through the asteroid field but then stopped. The Republic were in the middle of a war, how was she to know what was battle damage and what recently acquired en route here? Nevertheless, the recent increase in activity in the asteroid field made her nervous. As head of the Shipyards Commission she knew it wouldn’t do for the Republic to start to look elsewhere for their hardware if Anaxes became too difficult to reach.  </p><p> </p><p>She relaxed a little as she made out the face of the first figure down the ramp. The jedi was laughing about something and gesturing for the clone trooper behind him to catch up. A few moments later the two men reached where she was waiting for them and the jedi extended his hand.</p><p> </p><p>“Director Fitz, I presume? I’m General Skywalker of the 501<sup>st</sup> and this is Commander Cody of the 212<sup>th</sup>. I believe we’re here to pick up a new Venator.”</p><p> </p><p>Fitz crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. Yes, the shipyards had already agreed to process the order for the Republic, but a little bit of scolding could never go amiss when it came to the new owners. “Another one, Master Jedi? I believe we only gave you the Resolute a year ago.’</p><p>The jedi laughed again and jabbed his thumb back at the transporter. “Actually, this time it’s my former master who’s here with his tail between his legs. I’m afraid The Negotiator has gone to join its fellow Venators in the Great Shipyard of the Sky. Or space. Or wherever…”</p><p>The director sighed and unfolded her arms. She didn’t seem to take the news as flippantly as the jedi delivered it, and it took his clone companion to smooth things over.</p><p>“I’m very sorry, ma’am. The Negotiator was a hell of a ship. We tried everything to save her, but we had to let her go. I know it doesn’t make up for it, but she took down more than her fair share of Separatists before they got her. And even in her last moments there were hundreds of clankers on board that burned up with her. I was with her, right to the end, and she went down fighting. A hell of a ship.”</p><p>“Plus, that escape pod saved your life” the jedi added. “As tedious as being stuck in there with Obi Wan probably was for you.”</p><p>She nodded her thanks to the clone. Maybe here was someone who understood. “Forgive me, I get a little protective about my ships” she explained. “Commander, will you be stationed on the new one?”</p><p>He nodded reassuringly. “I’ll be at her helm, ma’am, don’t you worry. I’ll take good care of her.”</p><p>“Cody is a safe pair of hands” the jedi said. “He won’t let the Seppies destroy this one if he can help it.”</p><p> </p><p>Just then a third figure emerged from the transport. As he approached, he seemed to be having some trouble with his pale coloured robes, rubbing his hand over a patch, twisting the fabric to straighten it out. By the time he reached them he had clearly decided to give up on the endeavour.</p><p>“Hello there. Director Fitz, I must apologise for the slight delay in joining you, and also, well to be blunt, since we’re a little short of time, for intentionally blowing up your lovely ship, but as you can perhaps see from my robes I had an unfortunate accident with some tea as we were approaching the shipyards. I was trying to get it out because I did so want to make a good first impression, but I’m afraid it looks like it’s going to stain.”</p><p> </p><p>Fitz refolded her arms. Her tone was flat. “…you blew up the ship?”</p><p>She saw General Skywalker grimace and thought she heard the Commander politely cough a warning, but the newcomer seemed not to notice. “Well on the bright side we know for sure that the self-destruct mechanism works a treat.” He chewed his lip for a moment, then added “Oh, and also the pods.”</p><p> </p><p>“I see” Fitz got out, turning on her heel without another word and marching away for the facility doors. The younger jedi sighed and rolled his eyes at the General. Kenobi looked between his companions, confused.</p><p>“Was it something I said?”</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p>High up on the view point Skywalker was making googly eyes at the massive Venator class star ship far away in the distance. Fitz absolutely didn’t blame him: a top of the range hyperdrive and specialist hanger defence guns, plus (because she knew that a ship was not just a ship- it was also a home) a batch of private refreshers and even a hydropod area to ensure fresh nutrients and a place for some downtime. It was a flagship unsurpassed in the entire fleet. It was worthy of a noble leader.</p><p> </p><p>She decided she was not going to give it to General Kenobi.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s such a shame about the delays” she explained. “Perhaps in a month she’ll be ready to leave dock.”</p><p>Kenobi’s face fell.</p><p>“Or two” she added. “Hard to say really, what with the war affecting incoming materials etcetera.”</p><p>Beside him the other General groaned. “Well, this sucks.”</p><p>“Anakin, I don’t know why you’re so upset. The 501<sup>st</sup> already has a flagship.”</p><p>“But this one has the new ship smell” he whined.</p><p>“This is an unexpected setback” Kenobi said. “It seems since we are entering a bit of a lull in hostilities, I was hoping to use the time to bring my crew up to speed with some morale-boosting training exercises and such like. I thought a new ship would be an excellent bonding experience.”</p><p>“Yes, that is unfortunate” Director Fitz said curtly. “Shall I show you out?”</p><p>They took the lift back down and joined up with the main transport line which glided slowly through the ‘shop floor’ towards the exit of the massive dock area. It didn’t move at speed: it’s aim being to showcase the best hardware the Anaxes yards were producing, and since the Vigilance was parked at the far end of the complex they passed a few more Venators in various states of structural completion on their journey back, as well as some smaller craft. About halfway along their route they stopped at a dock station and the technician who had presumably summoned the transport pod joined them.</p><p>“Director.”</p><p>“Brilt. Gentleman, this is my chief foreperson Ensar Brilt. How’s your day going, Brilt?”</p><p>The engineer shrugged and pointed out of the view screen. “Just looking over <em>The Duck.</em> Again.”</p><p>“I’m sorry. The what?” Skywalker asked.</p><p> “A little joke among the tech staff” Fitz said. “Please, let us move on.”</p><p>The pod continued on its journey, taking it in a long loop past more vehicles. Cody could see that his General was lost in his thoughts, probably strategizing about how best to overcome this obstacle, as he himself was. They could maybe borrow a ship- although he doubted there were any to spare. Or they could redeploy the 212<sup>th</sup> into smaller groups for the duration, spread everyone out across the fleet. Cody didn’t like the sound of that. His brothers were a team, a family, and he felt much more comfortable with them all under the same ray shielded roof. Also, under that plan he and his General would probably be split up and Moon Hares knew what kind of disasters Kenobi could get himself into unsupervised. Well, Cody knew, too.</p><p>Skywalker’s yelp of glee brought him out of his own ponderings. The jedi had been scrolling through the datapad catalogue that held schematics of all the Anaxes products available for purchase.</p><p>“Ah!” he said, waving the datapad around with joy. “You’ve got the new ETA-3 Interceptors! Obi Wan- let’s check them out whilst we’re here!”</p><p>“Anakin. I already have to inform Master Windu that I have failed to bring back a new flagship. I don’t think you blabbing about us test-flying fighters for fun is going to make him any more forgiving.”</p><p>“Well then, we won’t tell him, will we?” Skywalker replied. Which, Cody thought, was classic General Skywalker. And classic General Kenobi. One of them embraced fun at the potential cost of future trouble, one of them avoided it just in case. Two extremes- which was why he and Rex had jobs for life.</p><p> </p><p>“Ah yes, we do have some test vehicles” Director Fitz confirmed. Although she would very much like to be rid of these men, it never paid to turn down potential custom. And since Skywalker was a pilot with a weakness for ships perhaps there was some money to be made here on top of teaching self-destruct, trigger-happy Kenobi a lesson. “It’s in Bay 459 and I’m sure Brilt would be happy to take you there.”</p><p>Skywalker beamed at Brilt, and Kenobi just nodded, realising he wasn’t going to deter his former padawan.</p><p>“Sir, if it’s alright with you I’ll skip the flyby” Cody said. “I can go over the Vigilance paperwork and reschedule a completion date with Director Fitz back in the central office.”</p><p>Kenobi agreed. “Good idea. I hate paperwork.”</p><p>“I am aware of that sir” Cody added, which earned him a raised eyebrow, but that was all.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p>An hour later a content Skywalker raised the landing gear and their shuttle took off. They left the Anaxes shipyards behind and set course for Alderaan, where the jedi and some top-ranking Commanders were due to attend a meet-and-greet banquet with Senator Organa and other dignitaries. Although it wasn’t usual protocol for a General to sign for a ship, the shipyards were half way between Coruscant and Alderaan so General Kenobi had pitched the idea of a stop-off to Cody, and when Skywalker had got wind of it (“New ships, Rex! You know how I feel about new ships!”) he’d invited himself along as well. In actual fact, Rex had raised the question about why Commander Cody needed to go to either the ship collection or the banquet, to which Anakin had just rolled his eyes.</p><p>
  <em>“It’s just I do believe, sir, that Commander Cody has a lot of perhaps more pressing things to get on with” the Captain said tactfully. “For the fleet. Plus, we’re both overdue on our advanced field training.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You do realise, Rex, my man, that the reason Cody is busy all the time is because he runs around doing things that in my opinion Obi Wan could do himself.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“It’s a Commander’s job to serve his General, sir.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Anakin laughed. “Is it a Commander’s job to bring him cups of tea? Because I have seen him do that. More than once.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Rex shrugged. “I believe Cody only does that so the General stays hydrated.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Mhm.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“So…do you think you could maybe…see about the Commander not going to Anaxes with you?” he asked hopefully.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Anakin shook his head. “Oh no. If Cody wants out, he’s gonna have to learn to politely say no to Obi Wan once in a while.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Rex sighed. “With all due respect, sir, it’s very difficult for a clone to do that. And Cody, well, he’s very loyal, very by the book. I don’t think it’d sit right him. Besides, I think he thinks…”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Say what you mean, Rex, let it out…”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“That General Kenobi would be…sort of….” Rex trailed off “Oh never mind.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Anakin slung his arm around Rex’s shoulder. “I remember pre-Cody Obi Wan Kenobi and it was not pretty. Although he’ll never admit that.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Rex frowned. “I’m sure it wasn’t that bad, sir. He is a General and a jedi master on the High Council.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Ask him about Dalliare, Rex.” Anakin smirked. “Ask him about accidentally marrying a cow.”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p>The General was still fussing with his robes. He’d already drifted to and from the refresher more than once and now he was rubbing some saline he’d fished out of the medpack on the stain. Cody made a mental note to replace the supplies when they got back to the fleet.</p><p>Skywalker glanced over his shoulder from the pilot seat and tutted. “You brought it on yourself, master. Surely you know that.”</p><p>“I most certainly did not” Kenobi called back. “It was your flying, as ever. Was it really necessary to yank the ship so violently out of the way of that asteroid debris?”</p><p>“It was if you wanted us to avoid crashing into the shipyards later” the jedi replied. “And how I choose to pilot the ship shouldn’t be dictated by whether or not you happen to have recently balanced a cup of tea on the dash and then promptly forgotten about it because you’ve decided to take a nap.”</p><p>“Well in that case” the General pivoted “I believe the true culprit here is Commander Cody, who provided the beverage in the first place <em>and</em> failed to spot the asteroid debris, when he clearly had nothing else to do but sit in the back.”</p><p>Underneath his helmet, Cody closed his eyes. He’d learned that although this didn’t solve anything, it brought him a moment’s relief to make the world disappear. Sometimes he added a little memory of sitting on a high ledge back at Kamino when he was a cadet, on the nights when the storm season finally broke and the sky was clear and full of stars, and the sea beneath had calmed enough to seem like a quilt. There would be good swimming to be had the next day. He knew the bickering wasn’t about him, that the jetii were frustrated at the outcome of their trip. He supposed now was the time to deliver some good news. If they ever stopped talking.</p><p>“How was Cody supposed to know you’d choose that moment to fall asleep? Normally you completely forget you need any rest at all. Cody’s probably never even seen you asleep before- isn’t that right Commander?”</p><p> </p><p>Cody had, in fact.</p><p> </p><p>“Cody, you should know that when we arrive on Alderaan and Senator Organa points out this stain I am going to have to throw you under the bus” Kenobi said. “You do understand of course, for the sake of relations between the Jedi Council and the Senate.”</p><p> </p><p>Cody nodded, going back to his datapad which was full of work he really needed to get through. A message popped up reminding him of his advanced training meeting back on Coruscant. “Do what you must, sir.”</p><p> </p><p>The General smiled, clearly delighted. Beyond him at the controls Skywalker muttered, loud enough for them both to hear “Oh for goodness sake.”</p><p> </p><p>“Speaking of, sirs, whilst you were with the ET3s I erm, squared things with Director Fitz.” Cody said.  “She’s releasing a Venator for us and it’ll be in Coruscant space in a week.”</p><p>Kenobi turned from where he’d been chatting to Skywalker to face him. His delight seemed to increase, judging by the open smile on his face. “My dear Commander, how on earth did you manage to do that? I believe I heard the director say the Vigilance was in need of a month’s worth of work.”</p><p>“Yes…so…it won’t be the Vigilance, sir. It’ll be a different ship. To be honest, she didn’t want to give us that one either at first. I got the distinct impression she didn’t really want to give us any ship.”</p><p>The other jedi turned to chip in. “I thought I detected some deceit from her! She was friendly enough at the start and then she changed when you turned up.”</p><p>“When I turned up?”</p><p>Cody decided to cut that line of enquiry off before it got going. Self-reflection was not a good look on his jetii. “Once I explained our need for a new ship, and how…careful we were gonna be with this one, she seemed to change her mind. So, no need to worry anymore, sir.”</p><p>Kenobi narrowed his eyes. “Cody, why do I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me?”</p><p>“I don’t know sir. Your feelings are private, obviously and I wouldn’t presume to understand them…”</p><p>“Cody” Kenobi pressed, dragging out the Commander’s name in a way Cody had always found to be very ambiguous in what it was conveying.</p><p>Skywalker suddenly yelled out “ It’s <em>The Duck</em> isn’t it! I bet you a hundred credits Cody’s only gone and requisitioned <em>The Duck</em> for you, master.”</p><p>Kenobi leaned forward in his seat, his blue eyes staring intently at Cody’s helmet. “Commander…?”</p><p>“I checked her specs sir, before signing anything. She’s a fine Venator. She’ll do the job and that’s what matters.” He allowed some gruffness to bleed into his voice. “212<sup>th</sup> need a new flagship, General. And there was one for the taking.”  </p><p>“Yes, but why that name? What does it mean? It must mean something.” His General leaned back and stroked his beard. “It’s a mystery, and you know how I don’t like mysteries.”</p><p>Cody took a moment before handing over the datapad for Kenobi’s co-authorisation. “Actually, you do like mysteries, sir. Which is fine, but perhaps we should just leave this one for another time? If you could just co-sign there…”</p><p>Kenobi took the datapad but did nothing. “First, tell me.”</p><p>He relented. It was too late now. They had the ship, there was no way the General was going to turn it down. He just had to ride out the next hour or so until they arrived in Alderaan, then a horrible formal banquet, and then he could hit the barracks. Lie down in a bunk, close his eyes properly and fall asleep. He could manage that.</p><p>“The techs went through a lot of duct tape repairing her, that’s all.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <em>In which Commander Cody will not be taking home the complimentary toiletries </em>
</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Anakin had been to Aldera twice before, both times under the guise of security for Senator Amidala. This was the first time he’d been officially invited, as a representative of the GAR. Masters Yoda and Ploon were here somewhere, with Rex, Cody and Wolffe giving faces to the clone contingent of the war. He knew it was part of a deeper plan the council had to start planting the seeds of clone rights after the war, which as someone who had formerly been property himself he was fully behind-though kriff knew what civilian jobs Rex and Cody would be a good fit for. Something risk-orientated for Rex maybe, like firefighter? With Cody’s people skills and death glare, farming very far away from everyone seemed like the natural choice. Anakin wasn’t really bothered about the formal gatherings, as long as they got to go hiking up to Appenze Peak afterwards. Padme packed an excellent picnic and pointed out the names of the local flora- which always reminded him that he’d (secretly) married way above his station.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Obi Wan had been to Aldera and the other major cities of Alderaan many times. Growing up for the most part on Coruscant he had been quite overwhelmed by the natural beauty of the planet when he first came here as Qui Gon’s young apprentice, but over the years and having travelled to many other worlds since then, he’d grown used to the sights. He liked wandering around the art galleries and watching the theatre, which unlike its Coruscanti counterpart, almost always took place out of doors. There was a traditional style that always began with the performers singing a welcome to the audience, before becoming characters in the play, and Obi Wan relished the easy warmth that came from the form.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cody and Rex had been to the landing pad, the barracks and one very disreputable (by Alderaanian standards) tattoo and piercing shop and that was it. A couple of liberties back he and Rex had ended up on Starforge Station and fallen in with a semi-famous swoop racer by the name of Tailer D’anwardi. After accompanying a victorious Tailer to get his chest pierced at Nuyu’s Rex had been smitten with the idea and could not be dissuaded even though Kix warned any piercings might catch on his body-glove if he wasn’t careful. Cody knew better than to try and talk his vod out of anything since he’d always been jare-la about stuff like this, and just waited for experience to teach its hard-earned lesson, which it did. This visit Cody doubted their off-duty itinerary would reach further than barracks.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He was proven wrong though as it turned out the clone commanders were also being housed in the guest wing. He understood the twofold benefit of this: it was more convenient than having to transfer across the city to the GAR barracks and it meant they were on hand if their respective Generals needed them, but he really wished it wasn’t the case. Luxury made him uncomfortable. He felt deep in his bones that his bucket should not rub shoulders with a vase. After he’d quickly changed into his dress uniform and bypassed sampling whatever the bottle was he suspected he was supposed to pat on his freshly shaven cheeks, but before the banquet started, he’d chapped on General Kenobi’s door in order to test the waters about the vode being excused the overnight.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Unfortunately, very quickly the conversation had returned to a disagreement they’d been having on and off for the last month or so about Kenobi resurrecting his Rako Hardeen persona to dig up some leads on some black-market cloning tech. The Chancellor had floated the idea and his General was considering it, even though last time he had nearly died in over a dozen horrible ways including by Skywalker’s own hand- ways in which Cody knew about because he’d read Kenobi’s report. If the di’kut jetii wanted to keep things from his 2<sup>nd</sup> he shouldn’t give him his passcode.</p>
<p>They’d both silently agreed to put a galactic-sized pin in the issue but then they needed the pin for <em>the other thing </em>so it was sort of inevitable that they stumbled back into it here, just when they were about to appear as a united front for the rest of the Republic.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>“Look Cody, I thought that since the issue is close to home that you’d understand the imperative behind finding this trader and shutting them down.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>Sithspit, Cody hated it when Obi Wan turned into The Negotiator. It was a low blow using the issue of cloning to gain the sympathy of a clone. Of course he didn’t want unregulated technology forcing people into existence, probably sickly and definitely maltreated- he had no argument with the ethics of the mission. It was the playbook that was full of karking stang. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I do, sir” is all he said. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “And since one can’t just wander into the black market looking like this” he waved his hand over his current attire of trousers, bare feet and half-unfastened undershirt “you have to be admit Hardeen may be our only option.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Another Negotiator tactic: ‘our only option’ as if Cody and he were in this together, when what was more likely was Cody would be on the bridge of the Venator doing paperwork and deciding on troop deployments whilst the General was on his own in hostile territory very likely about to get his shebs handed to him. Or else Cody would get sent to the Outer Rim like last time, so he was out of the way in case the worst-case scenario became the well-we -saw-that-coming scenario. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I have to disagree with your assessment there, sir. You” he made sure to stress that was who they were both talking about “are not only the only option, I don’t believe you are the best option.” He knew that sentence was clunky, but he could feel the frustration building in him all over again every time they discussed this. He hated disagreeing with his General. He’d wondered if there was something in the Kaminoan gene sequencing that made him feel guilty about dissenting, but ultimately decided that it wasn’t guilt, it was sadness. They were so often on the same page that it was painful when they weren’t. What was doubly frustrating was Cody was sure deep down the jedi felt the same as he did about this.   </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The General folded his arms and frowned, though there was still a deadly tease in there, trying to needle him into relinquishing his seriousness. “Are you criticising my work, Commander?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“No sir. And I am sure tonight’s event will showcase your many diplomatic talents to an audience who also know about your military successes.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Our successes, Cody. Jedi and Clones take the credit together.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Cody shook off the attempted redirect through flattery, even though he knew he genuinely meant it. He’d seen this move before as well. He continued down the path of his argument.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“The reason for those achievements is that everybody plays to their strengths. The 212<sup>th</sup> would never have broken so many front-line Separatist attacks had we not had air support from Wolfpack, for example.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“They do know how to fly, don’t they?” Kenobi said. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“It’s unfortunate that Master Fisto is not here with a representative from the Clone SCUBA troopers. I know the delegation from Mon Calimar would have liked to see them after the liberation.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The General nodded then tilted his head. “Indeed. Are we soon to arrive at your point, Commander?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Cody schooled his face and breathed through his nose, missing his helmet. Negotiating with the Negotiator was so much easier with his helmet, and if things went really badly he could always envisage throwing it at him. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Obviously, it’s impossible to invite every specialist section to a diplomatic party. General Vos and the Shadows for example.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Because they’re undoubtedly on some covert mission or other.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I would expect so. Infiltrating enemy cells, following black market leads etc.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Kenobi huffed. Then he frowned. Then he smiled. “You are a menace, Commander. I’m supposed to be the one with all the sneaky negotiating skills.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“General Vos or someone from his unit should handle the cloning tech mission, sir. You have other more important things to do.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Kenobi chewed his lip. He unfolded his arms and thrust his hands into his pockets, a gesture he rarely did and one Cody knew from yet more hours and hours of observation meant he was uncertain. He always hid his hands when he felt uncertain. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Nevertheless” he said “the Chancellor is leaning on the Council and I do answer to the Council so…”</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>Cody wished someone would put the entire Jedi Council in carbonate for the rest of war. What he wanted to do every time the General contemplated one of these ill-conceived, inefficient, high-risk, self-sacrificing pieces of osik was some or all of the following- whatever killed it in its tracks:</em>
</p><ul>
<li><em>Express his opinion without having to mitigate it through polite language. Stang, Cody hadn’t even known the word ‘mitigate’ until General Kenobi had sauntered into his life with his ridiculous mouth.</em></li>
<li><em>Find a positive, creative project for the General to do instead so he wouldn’t be tempted by these missions, involving (since he had a fair grasp on the jedi’s personal interests by now) cultural relations, feral animals, dusty books or if absolutely necessary, worms.)</em></li>
<li><em>If it looked like the death, torture and misery mission was still likely to take place, ground each and every ship in the hanger so the jetii couldn’t leave. At this point he was 90% against escape pods as well, since they seemed to cause exponentially more harm than good. </em></li>
<li><em>Temporarily redeploy Wrecker from the 99 to wrestle him to the ground until he admitted that of the two of them, even though Kenobi was technically a General, Cody was the one in charge and his rank should be respected. </em></li>
</ul>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>Since he couldn’t do any of those things, he decided to end the discussion. The General was making no move to button up his undershirt so Cody let his gaze flicker to the pale, exposed collarbone, just for a moment. Kenobi saw him do it and instantly stopped talking. Cody might not be The Negotiatior but he also knew how to unbalance an opponent. It was a low blow, but he was no jedi.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The General shrugged casually, but it was forced, and turned slightly, then moved over to the window where he fastened the buttons up. “You’d be more comfortable in the barracks?” he said neutrally.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Cody sighed quietly. Nothing was resolved. They were both caught by their own versions of themselves. Of course a Clone Commander could suck it up and sleep in a fancy bed with a view of the lake once in a while. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“It’s fine, sir. You should finish getting dressed.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Well, yes.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I’ll go dig up Rex and Wolffe.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Alright.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Cody reached for the door. “I’d skip the aftershave, General” he said, nodding at the bottle on the side-table twinning his own, “It makes that stuff Hopeful uses as disinfectant seem like Youngling juice.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Kenobi laughed and nodded his head. “Duly noted, Cody. I’ll see you at the banquet.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>*</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Anakin joined Master Yoda and Obi Wan besides a pillar in a quiet corner of the grand hall. He handed Kenobi a drink and turned back to watch the party. The formal part of the event was over and now everyone was socialising. Music drifted through the hall and guests in fine attire spoke in small gatherings all around them. Through one of the open doorways to his left he could glimpse dancing in the ballroom.</p>
<p>“Master Kenobi, where is your Commander?” Yoda asked.</p>
<p>Obi Wan shrugged. “I don’t know.”</p>
<p>“He’s hiding out on the balcony” Anakin asked.</p>
<p>“Why would he be hiding?”</p>
<p>Anakin gestured to a huddle of 3 young women over by a statue on the other side of the room. They all wore beautiful long dresses in pale yellows and creams and seemed to be very much enjoying the party. “Because the senators from Kimmerer haven’t seen a clone up close before, and having recently been liberated by an entire Company of them, are extremely grateful.”</p>
<p>“Nothing wrong with gratitude, there is” Yoda said.</p>
<p>“Perhaps ‘grateful’ is the wrong word. Perhaps ‘enthralled’ is better.”</p>
<p>Obi Wan made a small noise of surprise.</p>
<p>“Well you did insist he wear his dress uniform.”</p>
<p>“I don’t see the relevance of that.”</p>
<p>“And you did tell them that he got that scar over his eye fighting a Trandoshan one on one.”</p>
<p>“Well that’s on Cody” he groused. “Until he tells me the true story I feel it my duty to fill the void with some explanation or other. People do ask.”</p>
<p>“You brought it up” Anakin pointed out.</p>
<p>“The location of Commander Cody, surprised I am you could not sense” Yoda said thoughtfully.</p>
<p>Obi Wan sighed. “I’m sorry Master. There are many people here tonight, and I am suffering once again from a lack of sleep.”</p>
<p>Yoda narrowed his eyes, assessing the jedi more closely. “Not the first time you have misplaced your 2<sup>nd</sup>, I think. Incident recently on Dantooine was there not in which Ghost Company were trapped in a tidal cave.”</p>
<p>Anakin had been on the end of Master Yoda’s critiques many times and felt the need to stand up for his friend. “In his defence, we did find them eventually and nobody drowned.”</p>
<p>Yoda nodded “Mmm. And the most unfortunate event involving a blaster and Commander’s Cody’s head?” Obi Wan whipped round to glare at Anakin. That was supposed to be a secret that they never talked about ever again. “Recognise your rescuer you did not.”</p>
<p>“It is dark at the bottom of a well, master. I thought…”</p>
<p>“Thought you should not. Feel with the Force you should. Fortunate you are that your Commander does not hold a grudge.”</p>
<p>Anakin failed to hide the smirk that appeared on his face.</p>
<p>“Something more you have to say on this, young Skywalker?”</p>
<p>Anakin knew he shouldn’t add to his friend’s woes, but oh it was so rare that the Golden Jedi was ever in trouble that he couldn’t really pass up the opportunity to enjoy himself. “Well, Rex told me Cody did guilt Obi Wan into cleaning the scorching off his helmet, so I don’t think he entirely got off Scott free.”</p>
<p>“He didn’t guilt me, I offered.”</p>
<p>“Captain Rex in the ballroom is, yes?”</p>
<p>Anakin failed to the see the trap before it was too late. He reached out with the force. “Rex? No, he’s loitering by the kitchens trying to get some more sorbet. He…”</p>
<p>Yoda raised his stick at Kenobi “The reason for your trouble I know not, though have my suspicions I do. Renew your bond with your Commander, you must, for in battle the difference between life and death it may be.”</p>
<p>Obi Wan hung his head. “I will endeavour to make it right, Master Yoda.”</p>
<p>Yoda seemed satisfied with the course correct since his demeanour lightened. “Spare sorbet there is, you say?” He set off towards the kitchen, but not before making eye contact with Kenobi and chuckling. “Well, well, well.”</p>
<p>He waddled off in the direction of the kitchens, pausing occasionally as various dignitaries paid their regards to the Jedi.</p>
<p>“Master Yoda is great in wisdom, but his puns are terrible” Anakin said, once he was out of earshot. He got no response, so he reached out for his friend’s arm and softened his tone. “Don’t take it too hard, Obi Wan. I only knew he was on the balcony cos I saw him there.”</p>
<p>“He’s probably enjoying looking at the lake” Obi Wan said “And yes I forgive you for blabbing.”</p>
<p>“Thank you”</p>
<p>“He’s never seen a recreational lake before. I suspect he’s finding it quite interesting. There was that one of Rygillia…”</p>
<p>“But it came with a tentacled monster.”</p>
<p>“Indeed.”</p>
<p>Anakin could understand the attraction. Growing up on a desert planet where the only water came from evaporators and then arriving in Naboo and just seeing water everywhere he turned- it was a big deal. Kamino was an ocean planet, but a lake was different.</p>
<p>Obi Wan was sharing his thoughts about the party. “I think it’s good the Clones were invited. They get to meet some of the people whom the Grand Army fights for, and vice versa.”</p>
<p>Anakin shook his head. “I got to say, after coming to my fair share of these parties by now, it’s 50/50 whether I go home and start applying for a Separatist Membership card.”</p>
<p>Obi Wan drained his glass and rested it on the table next to him. A waiter with a tray of nibbles headed in their direction. Post dinner dessert nibbles were another Alderaan tradition he normally liked, but Master Yoda’s words still weighed on him. Plus there was that whole Rako Hardeen issue to resolve. Anakin sensed this, grabbed a fistful and forced them into Obi Wan’s hand anyway.</p>
<p>“I mean, it’s a good job he did come along, since he got you out of that mess with the ship” he joked.</p>
<p>“I hardly think it was a mess Anakin. I was handling it.”</p>
<p>Anakin disagreed. “He got you a ship. When Director Fitz was in absolutely no mood to give you a ship. Since you blew up her last one on purpose.”</p>
<p>“General Grievous…”</p>
<p>“Did not press the self-destruct button. I’m just saying, for a gruff, reticent clone Commander Cody’s sweet talk must be A-grade.”</p>
<p>He heard his colleague sigh. “Please don’t use the phrase ‘sweet talk’ and ‘Commander Cody’ in the same sentence, Anakin.”</p>
<p>The jedi laughed and summoned a waiter back for dessert for himself. “Have it your way, master” he said. “I’m just saying there’s nothing wrong with admitting how much you need him.”</p>
<p>“I don’t <em>need</em> the Commander. I value him, and I benefit, but I would like to think, with my years of experience and training that I would do just fine with any second.”</p>
<p>“Obi Wan don’t make me prove my point.”</p>
<p> “May I remind you I do command the entire 212<sup>th</sup>” Battalion, including the 501<sup>st</sup>?” he protested, around a mouthful of spun chocolate wafer. Oh that was really rather good.</p>
<p>Anakin grinned and stepped away from the pillar. Padme was summoning him and he figured he should go help her out. “Do you though?” he teased, heading away. “Do you?”</p>
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<p>*</p>
<p>Much later in the evening Cody watched the senator and general dancing together. Many of the guests had retired but he still thought they were taking an awful risk. There was plausible deniability, he supposed, except that the way they looked at each other kind of ran roughshod all over that. He’d known about their marriage for a couple of months now, having heard it from Rex after a particularly heavy drinking session a week or so after the massacre on Umbara. So many brothers had been lost, and on top of that was the horror of the friendly fire incident and the betrayal by Jedi Master Krell that Cody worried his friend wasn’t going to emotionally recover. Stang, he wasn’t sure he would recover. The battalion had been rotated out onto shore leave immediately after and Rex, Cody and a bunch of others had hunkered down on a quiet beach on Scarif for some R&amp;R. They hadn’t completely left the army behind, as Captain Tarkin was visiting, rumoured to be considering Scarif for a new research centre, but Cody doubted that would happen as if was so far into the Outer Rim he couldn’t see it being practical, unless your aim was to hide something.  </p>
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  <em>The sun was beginning to set over the tropical sea and Rex and Cody were lingering under one of the beach bar canopies scattered about the island. Cody thought the brightness and warmth of Scarif, with its warm oceans, was the perfect contrast to the darkness of Umbara and he thanked the wisdom of whoever it was who’d suggested this place for some healing.<em></em></em>
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  <em>Rex was much further into his cups than Cody, which had always been true even before Umbara. Rex could usually handle it better than Cody- something Cody had wondered about since they all had the same genetic make-up. Rex seemed to think it was psychological as much as anything else, that Cody didn’t let himself enjoy it. Now his head was resting on the bar and his eyes half closed. Cody was rubbing comforting circles on his back.<em></em></em>
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  <em>“You should’ve seen Skywalker when he found out about Krell” Rex said. “I thought he was going to lose it. He was furious and kind of out of control. Luckily, Senator Amidala turned up just at that moment and kind of talked him down from storming over to the Jedi Council and, well…I dunno what he was planning on doing, but she calmed him down.”</em>
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  <em>“The 501<sup>st</sup> lost a lot of good men. Hardcase. Flipper. I think he blames himself for leaving us with Krell- which is stupid cos he was ordered away. He wasn’t to know.” </em>
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  <em>“General Kenobi thought it was unfortunate Krell couldn’t be taken alive. To find out more about how deep the rot went.”</em>
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  <em>“Well I got the impression Skywalker would’ve killed him himself if he’d been there.” </em>
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  <em>“Sounds like it was a good thing the Senator and he are friends, then” Cody added. “That she balances him out.”</em>
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  <em>He pulled himself up from his slouch and topped up their glasses. “They’re more alike than they think. He may not have got to vent at the council, but I heard that she did. She and Senator Organa apparently spent over an hour with Master Windu expressing their displeasure about the lack of ‘checks and balances’ in the way the Jedi ran their campaigns that could’ve perhaps have spotted Krell’s treasonous nature earlier.”</em>
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  <em>“Well” Cody replied, “I guess technically clones are Republic property so they had a vested interest.”</em>
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  <em>Rex shook his head “No brother. Senator Amidala cares about us as individuals. I’ve always got that impression from her. I’ve heard her reminding Skywalker that even though he may be nearly invincible, we’re not and he should be mindful of protecting us before being all gung-ho.”</em>
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  <em>Cody thought about the way Skywalker sometimes fought in battle, charging ahead, a single-minded engine of determination. Like perhaps he’d forgotten there was anyone behind him. </em>
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  <em>“They’re married, you know” Rex said lightly, before downing his drink.</em>
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  <em>“What?!”</em>
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  <em>Cody was shocked. He knew Jedi were discouraged from forming attachments. “I don’t think my General knows that.”</em>
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  <em>“I bet he does” Rex replied. </em>
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  <em>Cody took a sip of his drink. If Kenobi didn’t know, then when he did find out Skywalker’s deception was going to cause him pain. But if he did know and was burdened with keeping a secret- that was going to cause him pain as well.  </em>
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  <em>“I think it’s a stupid rule” Rex went on. “Imagine being told not to care about your brothers. It’s natural. It’s what makes us good soldiers.”</em>
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  <em>Cody reached over for his light jacket and slipped his arms into the sleeves. It was getting cool and soon they should be moving on the barracks for some rest. </em>
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  <em>“They’re not like us” he began.</em>
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  <em>Rex frowned. “What- they don’t have feelings? Desires?”</em>
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  <em>“I’m sure they do but they keep them in check.”</em>
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  <em>“Yeah, cos bottling that stuff up is a real good idea. There’s nothing wrong with letting someone know you value them.” He reached over and took hold of Cody’s hand and pressed it to his chest. “That they matter to you. Here. It’s what makes us alive. It’s maybe why we’re even fighting this war.”</em>
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  <em>Cody wondered where Rex had got this philosophy from, since the Kamino training programmes certainly didn’t say that’s why they were fighting. But Kamino felt like a hundred years ago now and all the lived experience out on the battlefields probably shaped how each of them felt now more than those sterile classroom lectures ever could. He wondered momentarily if the war had changed the jedi’s philosophies, too. </em>
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  <em>“For example” Rex said, raising an accusatory finger, even though his head was by now back on the bar, and his words were getting slurry “One thing Skywalker and I agree on is your jetii could do with getting his head out of his shebs.” </em>
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  <em>“It’s fine” Cody replied. </em>
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  <em>“It’s not fine, Kote. Would the galaxy suddenly implode if he admitted that listening to you would actually keep him alive for longer? Or if he stopped suppressing the fact he very much wants to press you up against a wall and rub his beard all over your..?”</em>
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  <em>“He does not want to do that please, please stop talking Rex” Cody begged. </em>
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  <em>“…sometimes in the very same awkward-for-all-of-us briefing” Rex finished. He opened an eye to peer at the man next to him. Cody was hiding his face, so Rex let it go. It was his turn to rub comforting circles on Cody’s back.</em>
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  <em>“Okay vod. There, there. We can change the subject if you like.”</em>
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  <em>“I’d appreciate that” came the muffled response.</em>
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  <em>“Sounds good” Cody said. “Bit of time away might be good.”</em>
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  <em>Rex turned his rubbing into a hug. “Yeah, I figured as much.”</em>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
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  <em>In which Commander Cody wonders if all the tea in the galaxy is out to get him</em>
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    <p> </p><p>Two rotations after getting back from Alderaan Cody got the rendezvous location for him and Rex to meet the Intelligence Core Captain who had their long overdue training briefs. It was in a quiet diner on the lower levels of Coruscant, rather than in a sanctioned office, which seemed appropriate for something focussed on fieldwork. They took a shuttle down dressed in civvies, because Rex wanted to start as they meant to go on. Rex had a wool cap pulled over his distinctive bleach crop, but Cody couldn’t do much to conceal the prominent scar next to his eye.</p><p>“I guess that’s one of the things they’re gonna teach us, brother” Rex said, as they watched the lower levels slowly pass by them. Cody himself wasn’t so sure about the value of this training- he expected to be mostly either on the bridge of the ship (<em>The Duck, </em>his brain reluctantly reminded him. No, Kenobi would surely remember to rename it) or out on the battlefield blasting clankers and ordering his squads into strategic positions. But he also knew that after the slave camp in Kadavo Rex wanted to make sure he or any other clone was at the top of their game when it came to going into the field. Rex needed this to get his confidence back, and a brother supports a brother, no questions asked. Everything he’d learned about that mission had chilled him to the bone. And when he’d walked into the Negotiator briefing room and seen the state his General was in, even after 3 days in a medi-centre, he’d promptly walked straight back out again, found the nearest bathroom, dropped his bucket on the floor and pressed his head up against the cool glass of the mirror.</p><p>They could start the meeting without him.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p>He was more than a little surprised to see Skywalker sitting next to their contact, a Caphexian, but Rex just shrugged and led him over to the table.</p><p>“Gentleman, welcome” she said. “I’m Captain Pol Droit, Intelligence Core, and I am here to help design your assignments in order to test your covert field skills and leave you better commandos that you were before.”</p><p>“Sign us up” Rex said, enthusiastically. “I would’ve liked to stay on Onderon, to help the freedom fighters” he told Skywalker “but once we were in the city proper I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb.”</p><p>“I know what you mean” the General said.</p><p>“Well, this should help” the Intelligence office replied. “In a moment, the roboserver will be over to take your drinks orders. May I suggest you order something out of character, since we may as well make a start? Preferences are a marked giveaway when it comes to identity.”</p><p>Cody opened the laminated menu and scanned the information. Normally he’d just have caf, like 8 out 10 of his brothers. It was just one of those quirks of the gene programme that they mostly all had similar tastes- although Kenobi disagreed and threw words around like <em>formative experiences</em> and <em>gastronomic exposure</em> and <em>honestly Cody have a taste of mine and you might change your mind</em>. His eyes scanned down the page, trying to pick something new.</p><p>“Are you sure, us being clones, that our faces aren’t a bigger giveaway?” he joked.</p><p>“Over 5 million clones have left the Kamino facility” the Caphexian replied. “Where better to hide than in a crowd?”</p><p>“And if there isn’t a crowd of clones handy?”</p><p>She gestured around the café. “You’re in Coruscant Lower. How many people show their true faces here, do you think?”</p><p>He glanced out of the window at the street level, taking in the abundance of masks, head-coverings, facial tattoos, augmentations etc. He nodded. She had a point.</p><p>He decided he’d have tea. He’d had tea before. He didn’t love it but neither did he hate it. You knew where you were with tea. When the server arrived, he put in his order.</p><p>“Which kind would you prefer, sir?” the droid asked.</p><p>Cody shrugged. “What kinds are there?”</p><p>“We currently stock 27 blends. Do you wish them listed alphabetically, by price, popularity or toxicity?”</p><p>“Whichever you prefer” he said uncertainly.</p><p>“Alderaanian, Mandalorian, Moogon tea, Deychin, Blue Lady, Yboonian Musket, Attahoxian twig, Ebaqi ant, Kite tea, Outer Rim Dreg, Tarine, Desert Plum…”</p><p>“I’ll just stop you there” Cody interjected. He’d forgotten half the names already. “I’ll take the Moogon, thanks.” Although he had no idea what it was, he reasoned that as long as he avoided anything ant or dreg based he’d be fine.</p><p>Pol Droit ordered some Alderaanian tea and Skywalker, ever the adolescent, a Jogan juice float. The server then turned to Rex, who ordered a black caf. “Very good sirs” the droid concluded and hovered away to the kitchen. When it was out of earshot Cody shoved Rex in the arm.</p><p>“You usually drink caf!” he complained.</p><p>“Yeah, but with milk” Rex replied.</p><p> </p><p>The Caphexian pulled out a datapad. “Now I have looked over your performance files and spoken to your commanding officers in order to get a feel of what would best benefit you in terms of skill acquisition. I can see by your records that you are both highly competent already:  passing the Alpha 17 elite training programme and proving your resourcefulness and strategic abilities on the battlefield.” She paused for a moment.</p><p>“Ah, I should clarify that when I said I spoke to your superiors I mean General Skywalker here, who leads the 501<sup>st</sup>, and Master Yoda. I am afraid I could not get hold of…” she glanced back down at the datapad “General Kenobi, as much as I tried. He always seemed…unavailable and did not return any of my messages.”</p><p>Skywalker let out an amused huff. “What a surprise.”</p><p>Cody began to verbalise an apology but the jedi cut him off. “Nope Cody, don’t.”</p><p>“I believe, however” the Captain went on, “that we can press on regardless.”</p><p>“What Obi Wan doesn’t know won’t kill him” Skywalker said, though Cody couldn’t help but internally disagree.</p><p>“Now” she continued “of course what we are interested in is your weaknesses. What can be improved, where are there gaps in knowledge and experience? What latent talents may you have that have not had the chance to come to light yet? Captain Rex, General Skywalker here- after much prodding I must add- he was very reluctant to offer any negative feedback whatsoever- has told me that you sometimes lead with your emotions. He believes this to be more true post some incident on Umbara involving the loss of many of your comrades.”</p><p>“Sorry Rex” Skywalker blurted out. “Also, Captain, I think he gets it from me and so it’s not Rex’s fault. I mean, that’s what Senator Amidala says.”</p><p>“I am not suggesting it is necessarily a bad thing” she said. “But if you are known to be passionate and open with your feelings then part of concealing your identity is about concealing those behaviour patterns.”</p><p>Rex grinned and returned the arm shove. “Be more like Cody then?”</p><p>Skywalker thought of something to ask. “When you were cadets, did you ever impersonate each other?”</p><p>Rex shook his head and took his beanie off. “Bit tricky with this lid. But Cody did get away with pretending to be Fox for an entire standard week of training. The long necks were so pissed…”</p><p>Skywalker looked at Cody with approving eyes. Cody shrugged. “It was a stupid thing to do. We both nearly jeopardised our whole progression.”</p><p>“You were good though, vod. Would’ve lasted longer if Fox hadn’t dropped the ball.”</p><p>“How did he give the game away?” Skywalker asked.</p><p>It was Cody’s turn to smirk. “He lost a fight.” Beside him Rex was beaming, the evident pride in his brother radiating off him. Nobody needed to explain any more. Commander Cody was a man who had punched General Grievous in the face.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The roboserver returned and decanted from a tray Skywalker’s drink and the caf. In the centre of the table it placed two bulbous pots with small spouts, some strainers, a carafe of steaming water and a jug of cold water. Everyone took their drinks. Cody lifted the lid on his pot and sniffed. It didn’t smell too bad. He lifted the boiling carafe over the lip. Pol Droit reached for the laminated menu.</p><p>“Are we getting food too?” Rex asked, confused by the action.</p><p>Cody shrugged and poured the hot water into his pot. A moment later there was a loud crack followed by a small explosion as scolding liquid and flecks of orange leaves rained down on them. Rex yelped and Skywalker jumped out of his seat, but all Cody could do was try and blink the gunk out of his eyes and wipe his face. So much for not drawing attention to themselves- everyone in the diner was staring.</p><p>“You have perhaps revealed more than your ignorance of tea, Commander” said the Captain, lowering the menu which had ably shielded her from the deluge.</p><p>Cody smeared some goop off his sleeve and tried to deposit in on the tablecloth. “What happened?”</p><p>“Moogon tea is always taken cold. Your cover is blown.” She handed Cody a broken spout. “As, by the looks of things, is your teapot.”</p><p>Skywalker burst out laughing and sat back down. Rex handed his brother a napkin.</p><p>She continued on with the meeting. “Commander Cody. You are extremely loyal, and calm. You respect boundaries and follow orders. Both Master Yoda and General Skywalker think that perhaps at times you do not trust yourself to think outside the box, to take risks- impersonating your clone brother as a cadet notwithstanding.”</p><p>Cody thought about all the times he’d been nearly killed on the battlefield charging enemies and taking heavy fire. That always felt risky to him. “No offence, but the entire war is taking risks, General” he snarked at Skywalker.  </p><p>Rex placed his hand on his arm. “I think, brother, what they mean is that you will follow a risky order if Kenobi gives it, or you’ll fight him on it if you think it’s too dangerous, but you don’t ever trust yourself to improvise on the spot. You’re cautious.”</p><p>“Or else you predict his orders before he gives them, which amounts to the same thing. That’s why you work so well together” Skywalker added, trying to soften the criticism.</p><p>“How is that a bad thing when lives are at stake?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The officer glanced back at her datapad. “The skill is there, undoubtedly. Your commendation from the Commander training programme highlights your creative thinking and abilities to adapt under changing circumstances. Sometimes though when there’s two people working in tandem one will step back, in order to avoid any conflict. We just need to let you loose on your own for a while.”</p><p>He remembered being at Rishi Station with Rex, hidden to the side of the blast door as Rex crouched down and waved a severed droid head at the camera, trying to fool the sentry into letting them in. He never would have thought of doing that. And in fact, he’d dismissed the idea, saying it wouldn’t work. What if Rex hadn’t been there? Would he have been able to come up with an inventive solution on the spot? Maybe he had lost his touch.</p><p>“I think I know what you’re saying” he conceded. “It’ll do me good to shake things up a bit. And I do think I’ve got it in me. I just need…a way to test drive it if you know what I mean?”</p><p>The officer poured some tea into her cup, then slid it over to the Commander. He nodded his thanks and took a sip. She caught the attention of the roboserver who promptly mopped up the mess and took the Captain’s new order. Kriff, it’d been a long time since he’d had a performance review, what with their being very few people who outranked him enough to do that. He’d forgotten how humbling it was. But he was also glad this was happening. It wasn’t that the war had made him complacent- if you got complacent you died, simple as that- but he had, they all had, got so used to <em>reacting</em> rather than taking a step back. It was only their skills and a smuggler’s amount of luck that’d got them this far.</p><p>“I suspect that it might also be the case that your personality indicators come into play here.”</p><p>“My what?” he said. “I mean, how?” he tried again because he knew what the psych tests were.</p><p>“You have a strong moral code. Qualities such as deceit, misdirection, manipulation etcetera probably don’t sit right with you. However, they can save your life in the field.”</p><p>Those moral indicators had always been a source of wry amusement to his closest batch mates. Cody was generally regarded as the clone closest to matching Jango Fett in both genetics and abilities. When he’d learned that Jango had tried to kill Kenobi on Kamino he’d wondered about how the General must have felt when he first saw him the day he took command of the 212<sup>th</sup>. Of course, all the vode shared Jango’s face, but the Kaminoan Prime Minister had pointed out with pride that the man who was going to be watching the jedi’s back was basically another Jango. It must’ve been karking unsettling. The Mandalorian occupied a complicated position amongst the vode: acknowledged to be their father figure and provider of so much of their culture, but also the man who was happy to work for the Separatists. It was because of this that Cody took some comfort in the enormous discrepancy between Fett’s moral code and his own, plus his prominent scar. Privately it was why he had shrugged off Patch-Up’s offer to have a medic buddy of his fix it up. It wasn’t that it marked him out as an individual- it marked him out as <em>not Jango Fett. </em>The way he caught Kenobi glancing at it sometimes he figured it was doing its job.</p><p>“I just prefer to be on the right side of a situation, is all” he said.</p><p>Skywalker nodded. “When we were trapped on Zygerria” he glanced at Rex “I had to, uhm…convince The Queen that I was interested in her so I could find out where the prisoners were.” He looked uncomfortable but hurried on. “I mean it was fine, easy, cos she was a Queen, so she <em>expected</em> people to want her. But I felt like a real sleemo. And believe me, Cody, there are no classes in the Jedi Temple that cover how to seduce anyone.”</p><p>Rex snorted. “And yet somehow I’m sure everyone figures it out.” Cody rolled his eyes at his brother. “What?” Rex continued. “At least they didn’t miss that off the Kamino curriculum.”</p><p>It was Skywalker’s turn to splutter. Cody shook his head. “He’s joking, General. Well…he’s exaggerating.”</p><p>“Let’s just say there was long-neck education and there was Mando education” Rex said. Skywalker looked like he had follow-up questions so Cody threw a pleading glance to the Intelligence Officer, hoping she would redirect the conversation back to more pertinent matters. She smiled at him and obliged.</p><p>“The General’s point is well made. It can be quite disorientating but what matters, what makes it bearable, is the reason why you doing it. If you can keep that in mind, then the ends justify the means. Being away from your known environment, your troops, your armour, your familiarities, will only encourage you to trust in yourself and forge new ways of doing things.”</p><p>“Which brings us finally to a unique opportunity that has arisen due to a little skirmish about to take place on Bespin of all places” Skywalker said, a stang-eating grin forming on his face. “I would like to point out that there is nothing wrong with my ability to think creatively, as evidenced by the mission you are about to be pitched.”</p><p>“Bespin?” Rex asked. “We’re going to Bespin?”</p><p>“Not you Rex” the jedi said. “Sorry my man. This one’s Cody’s but you’ll get your turn. So, Obi Wan is due to go on meditative leave and I have asked Master Yoda to send him somewhere that requires a long travel time to get there. This means there’s a standard week opportunity, with no assaults, no entanglements, just some quiet time on the ship and then down on some peaceful planet somewhere. During that time, Cody, you are going to take the 99 to Bespin.”</p><p>Cody frowned. “I can’t leave the 212<sup>th</sup>. Who’s going to be in charge of the ship?”</p><p>Skywalker leaned forward and smirked. “I was thinking that if you go with the 99…. their Commander can come here. Like an…exchange programme of sorts.” He paused for effect. “Don’t you think it’s about time that Obi Wan Kenobi met the elusive Commander of the Bad Batch?”</p><p>“Hunter told me they didn’t report to anyone in particular” Rex said, confused.</p><p>“Oh, they do. They just keep him out of the limelight. Because he’s one fierfek motherkarker. Isn’t that right, Cody?”</p><p>Cody folded his arms and narrowed his eyes. He didn’t say anything for a long time.  Eventually he murmured “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”</p><p>“Wait, so there’s a Commander I haven’t met?” Rex asked. “Cody, how could you keep him from me? Does Wolfe know? What about Gree? I’m gonna be pissed if Gree knows and I don’t, brother…”</p><p>Skywalker raised his eyebrows, hopeful. “Think of the opportunities that might arise with a Commander who doesn’t take any poodoo from Obi Wan. It might actually make him think twice about swanning around relying on his Coruscanti words and beard-stroking ponderings to justify his increasing lack of self-preservation …” he trailed off. “Oh, you know what I mean.”</p><p>“He’s a good General. He’s saved all of our lives more than once.”</p><p>Skywalker touched his arm, softened his tone. “I know he is, Cody. But you want to go on this training, and we have this very short window where there’s a lull in hostilities, so maybe this is the time for everyone to grow as people. Maybe we’ll all work better together when we come out of the other side of it.” He lowered his gaze, looked thoughtful. “I worry about him getting too…I can’t use the word detached because that’s loaded with jedi implications…”</p><p>Beside him Cody heard Rex mutter something disparaging under his breath.</p><p>“I guess I mean I think my master could do with being surprised once in a while.”</p><p>“To keep him on his toes?” Cody asked, not liking that as a reason.</p><p>Skywalker shook his head. “No. To keep him curious. It’s his best and most humane quality and I think we’re all gonna be kriffed if the war kills that part of Obi Wan Kenobi for good.”</p><p>Cody stared into his teacup and wondered about a galaxy where moving speeches didn’t exist. Thankfully Skywalker, in his usual way, managed to ruin it slightly.</p><p>“Plus, just think how endlessly entertaining it’s gonna be.”</p><p>He took a deep breath and scrubbed his face. Why when jedi were involved was it always so karking difficult for them to go with simple plans over convoluted ones? They were supposed to be <em>all about simplicity.</em>  He <em>knew</em> this was going to backfire, he just knew it. The Force just wasn’t that nice to him. Moons he should’ve just stayed impersonating Fox forever. That way right now he’d be 30 levels up, strolling around the Senate gardens, sniffing the honeysuckle and making small talk with some mild-mannered Rodian senator or whatever. Instead he was about to agree to yet another of Skywalker’s osik ideas that was more than likely gonna end up with him vaporised or humiliated or buried under post-mission complaint forms for the next year.</p><p>“Okay. But I wouldn’t know how to dig the 99 Commander up” he said. “He’s…off radar.”</p><p>Skywalker turned to the Caphexian. “I am sure Captain Droit can help you with that?”</p><p>She nodded. “Not a problem.”</p><p>“Last thing I heard, he got injured.” Cody touched his own face. “Pretty nasty.”</p><p>“We can fix him up” she said.</p><p>Rex looked between the three of them, bewildered. “Wait so what’s happening?”</p><p>Cody sighed deeply and nudged his teacup away from him. He touched his brother’s arm. “We are going to go find something stronger to drink, that’s what. And have a long chat. And make a plan for whilst I am away. I’m gonna need you to keep an eye on things whilst this plays out.”</p><p>He stood up and pulled on his coat. Rex joined him and they both shook hands with Droit.</p><p>“No salutes, very good gentleman. Perhaps there’s hope for you yet.” Cody leaned over the table and scooped the spout from his broken teapot into his hand. He slipped it into his pocket.</p><p>“Memento?”</p><p>“Inspiration.”</p><p>She smiled. “I’ll be in touch about Bespin, Cody.”</p><p>“I look forward to it.”</p><p>“Don’t be a stranger.”</p><p>He rolled his eyes and left the diner, already regretting everything.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <em>In which Obi Wan Kenobi fails to make new friends and influence people</em>
</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Contrary to what Commander Cody said, silently, by dint of an insubordinate eye-roll, Obi Wan Kenobi did in fact sometimes sleep. At the moment, for instance, he was cocooned deep within his bedroll mostly unconscious to the world, content to be warm and safe and off that abysmal windy planet that he had just suffered a week on as he and Master Luminara Unduli hunted for leads about Master Vos’ whereabouts. The trail had turned cold and as it was of utmost importance that Vos didn’t find out he was under suspicion from the council, they had to abandon the investigation. A part of Obi Wan still hoped that the council were wrong: he and Quinlan were padawan together and for all Quinlan’s teasing of him he thought of them as friends. Nevertheless, if the fool would just return to the fold maybe everything could get straightened out and his hair could have at least one day to be unruffled and blown all over the place. He was beginning to covet Luminara's headdress and that wasn’t good for anyone.</p><p>As soon as Luminara had dropped him off he’d wearily checked in with the deck sergeant, located his new quarters and promptly banged his shins on the troop kist left outside his door. He practically hugged it when he realised it was his stuff from the Negotiator. The salvage crews usually retrieved anything important or reusable that survived ship destructions, such as engine parts or vehicles, but really they’d worked wonders if they’d managed to find crew belongings. Alderaanian keepsake chests may be things of beauty, but if you wanted your stuff to make it through a war you needed something a little more robust. He’d dragged it into the darkened room, managed to haul himself out of his robes, crawl into his bunk and pass out. For as much as he didn’t mind slumming it with the men of the 212<sup>th</sup> it was one of Obi Wan’s few pleasures in life to have private quarters all to himself.</p><p>He woke up much sooner than his tired body and mind liked because he sensed that that was no longer the case. He couldn’t identify who was in the room or quite where they were, but he felt a living being through the Force. Without moving or giving away he was now awake, and without yet opening his eyes he tried to remember where his lightsaber was. He thought about his robes dumped on the floor, belt and all, and internally sighed. It was probably under a puddle of heavy cloak, with no chance of him getting it cleanly out of there and into his hand before the assailant reacted. How had they even got in? His door had a keypad access only himself, Cody and the quartermaster knew, but then he supposed if it was an assassin, they had ways and means. Getting onto a Republic Venator Class starship undetected was no mean feat. They’d probably disguised themselves with clone armour- that’s what he would’ve done.</p><p>His mind was now fully alert, but he knew his body was still weak from the mission. This was going to be painful, especially as Obi Wan was aiming to neutralise rather than kill- assuming he survived. He felt a weight on the end of the bed- a knee perhaps, about to strike. He took a focusiing breath, turned slowly and shifted up onto his elbows. “Shall we get this over with?”</p><p>In the dark there was no reply.</p><p>He eased an arm out from the covers and debated with himself whether to force push the intruder into the wall or instead flip on the light and blind them. He went for the latter.</p><p>The room suddenly flared with light, he heard a strange high yowl and had a moment to blink before something launched itself at his head. Claws scraped his cheek as he tried to grab whatever had attacked him. He hauled whatever it was off of him and held it at arm’s length, his heart beating wildly, a bit of, was that fur? in his mouth and his sense of pride more wounded than his actual face.</p><p>There was a lothal kitten in his bed.</p><p>“Hello there” he said softly.</p><p>The cat tried to scratch his eye out.</p><p>*</p><p>Wooley had rustled up a box sturdy enough to put the creature in and now Obi Wan headed to the bridge. He went straight past the medical bay even though his face stung, and Hopeful was right there outside the door.</p><p>“General, I see blood…” the medic called after him.</p><p>“It’s fine” Kenobi said.</p><p>The bridge wasn’t the one he’d left a fortnight ago. This was the newly delivered Venator, the one that replaced The Negotiator, now only a memory and a whole cloud of scrap somewhere out in space, but it looked the same, just cleaner, and smelled different but that was about it.</p><p>“Cody” he called out, spotting the Commander “I know the Republic is somewhat short of credits what with the Banking Clans raising their interest rates etc but really, I think renting out my quarters whilst I am away seems a little unfair.”</p><p>He grinned but when the trooper turned around, he realised that this wasn’t Cody at all. If he looked properly at the orange and white armour, he could see there were definite differences in the custom job. Alas, that’s what came from being rudely awakened, attacked and not having had any tea yet.</p><p>“Obi Wan Kenobi” a voice said. “Well, now your fancy exhaust port’s finally on board let’s get the Sith out of this system, shall we?” It wasn’t the armoured clone who spoke, but an officer in plain uniform stood next to him.</p><p>“I’m sorry? My what?” the jedi said, confused.</p><p>The officer nodded at the box. “Sergeant Holdout, help him with that will you?”</p><p>Obi Wan clutched it to himself and glanced around the bridge. “Wait, so Cody’s not here?”</p><p>“He on assignment with the 99, under the directive of General Master Yoda.” The man frowned. “If this is news to you then that’s Bantha stang if you ask me. Not that anyone ever does. Not that actually I’d want them to. What a pointless conversation that would be. Although I believe a coded request was sent to your datapad?” </p><p>Obi Wan, still not quite understanding what was happening, possibly because of the intermediary task of having to translate what he was hearing into polite Basic, began reaching out with his feelings to find the Commander. Then he remembered that of late he hadn’t been able to do this. Reluctantly, he processed what he’d just been told about him not being onboard. He <em>had</em> read a message from Master Yoda, except, exhausted by the campaign and distracted by other things he had perhaps only skim read it before agreeing to whatever Yoda had asked. “Oh yes, Captain, I remember now. Speaking of my datapad, I think there’s some onboard glitch as I cannot access my comm stream.”</p><p>“It’s this new ship- karking AI’s unruly as a Nexu, so I’m not surprised.” He waved a tattooed hand at Obi Wan’s waist. If you still have the receipt in one of those little purses on your belt, I’d dig it out if I was you.” Then he reached out and casually squeezed Holdout’s shoulder. “Holdout’ll look into your problem. Gives him a chance to stick his nose around, seeing as though he’s new here too. I’m too busy trying to win this war for you so I’ve asked him to write me a haiku about the whole operation, summarising what’s important.”</p><p>The trooper nodded and peeled away off the bridge. Obi Wan’s face tried to decide whether to settle into a gawp or a grimace. This was all very nonstandard. The box suddenly felt very cumbersome in his arms so he carefully placed it down on the briefing table, where it now looked supremely out of place. He felt a little foolish but reasoned that his original query stood, so he’d just have to be more professional. Or be professional. Someone should.</p><p>“It contains a lothal cat. Which I became acquainted with when I tried to sleep in my own bed. I believe it has staked a prior claim.”</p><p>“Hello there, puss” the officer said, surprisingly softly, coming over to lift the lid.</p><p>“Uh, I’d be careful, Captain. It’s pretty vicious and you aren’t wearing gloves” he warned. However, unlike its last encounter with a human, the kitten seemed to not mind this in the slightest and gave a little mew. He felt a pang of envy.</p><p>“I was beginning to think I’d made a mistake with you” the officer said, his voice low and friendly.</p><p>Kenobi took a moment to respond. “<em>You</em> brought her on board?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Why on earth would you do that?”</p><p>“She’s a ship’s cat, Obi Wan. It’s a long military tradition to have a cat on board. Keeps down the rats.”</p><p>He frowned. He reasoned there was a bit of discrete tech built into the Venator for pest control and surely it was working even if other systems weren’t. A bit of his lagging brain apropos of nothing queried the word ‘purses.’</p><p>“That doesn’t sound right, captain…”</p><p>The clone stopped petting the cat and looked up. He left a pause before asking lightly “Become familiar with an extensive range of long-held military traditions over the last two years, have you General?”</p><p>Obi Wan felt like he’s just taken another unexpected clawing. “Forgive me, no.”</p><p>Trapper, who had wandered over to replace Holdout but was staying well back from the creature, nodded sagely. “In fact, it’s considered bad luck <em>not</em> to have a cat onboard, isn’t that right, Commander?”</p><p>Oh.</p><p>He wasn’t a Captain; he was a Commander. He was Cody’s temporary replacement. It was surely forgivable that Obi Wan had made the mistake: he was so used to Cody wearing his armour, even if they were shipbound for many rotations, that he was having a hard time superimposing this clone in unadorned military greys onto the new commanding role. In fact, aside from his build this officer barely resembled a clone at all, in both appearance and mannerisms. Whilst the Commander teased the kitten, the jedi took the opportunity to look at the rest of him properly. He had a close-cut dark beard and short hair but the most prominent thing about him was the irregularly shaped fragment of oxidised metal that was fused to one side of his brow. Three small vertical strips of what looked like perma-Bacta ran across his cheekbone. He presumed it was some sort of cybernetic implant. As a commander having immediate access to tech could prove useful. Cody had his shoulder aerial but to be totally honest Obi Wan couldn’t for the life of him fathom what that really did, unless it was for special occasions, like calling in an airstrike? He did know it was pokey, because he had once fallen asleep and almost gouged his own eye out on it. (Instead of an apology or even sympathy all he’d got was a gloved finger pointing at Rex’s pauldron.)</p><p>He heard Trapper cough politely and redirected his curiosity- it wouldn’t do to get caught staring when clearly, he had already managed to put his foot in his mouth with the rank thing.</p><p>The Commander continued to stroke the cat without looking up. “Perhaps the Negotiator would’ve fared better had you remembered to get a cat, General. I mean, in terms of pest control, obviously. Much less dramatic than activating the self-destruct sequence.” The cat let out a very satisfied purr, almost as if to praise the gibe, but then again maybe it just liked having its ears scratched.</p><p>Kenobi took a deep calming breath. He released his bitten down pique into the Force. He was just tired, and his face hurt. He was sure the new officer and himself could work together just fine. He edged closer to the box to get a better look. The animal was butting its head up against the clone’s hand, clearly having the time of its life.</p><p>“I can’t fathom how she ended up in my quarters” he said.</p><p>“Oh, I can explain that. I left her there. Anyway, I’m sure she won’t go back …” Obi Wan reached in the box to stroke the creature. She sank her teeth into his bare hand and he yelped. “Seeing as though she really doesn’t like you.”</p><p>“May I enquire as to why you did that, Commander?” he asked through gritted teeth, wincing as he unlocked teeth from his flesh. He threw the cat a look of disappointment and hoped it was more effective on it than it had ever been on Anakin. </p><p>“Commander Cody said you were good with animals.” He reached out and took Obi Wan’s wounded hand in his own. He turned it over, carefully examining the puncture marks and didn’t let go until he seemed satisfied they weren’t serious. Obi Wan quashed any and all flashbacks. “Although between you and me, Commander Cody has been known to make some wildly shabla calls. You should get Hopeful to look at that, maybe give you a tetanus booster, ret’lini.”</p><p>Someone bad mouthing his Commander whilst holding his hand felt both disconcerting and inappropriate to the jedi, nevertheless he let it pass as a throwaway comment. “Does the 212<sup>th</sup>’s newest recruit have a name?” he asked, hoping for an opportunity to lighten the mood, to share a joke.</p><p>“Nope. Doesn’t need one.”</p><p>Well that seemed a bit heartless. Names were important. A clone of all people should know that. He took a breath and tried again. “And Commander, what about you?”</p><p>Another pause.</p><p>“CC4154.”</p><p>Since clones tended to either pick their names themselves or earn them through some significant event, to know a clone’s name was to know something integral about them. This far into the war he had himself unintentionally contributed to some namings- a fact that made him feel both warmly embraced by the vode and slightly embarrassed about the whole affair. Thistle, for example, was for better or worse, christened after foolishly forgetting to check the local flora before dropping his britches. Obi Wan hadn’t been able to resist quipping ‘this’ll make you reconsider the merits of wild peeing, my friend’ to many guffaws and hoots. He hoped whatever the Commander’s name proved to be, it was equally jovial and enlightening.</p><p>“No, I mean your name. What shall I call you?”</p><p>“Well, my given name is Trash” he said.</p><p>“Trash?” The word was distasteful and inhumane in Obi Wan’s mouth and the Commander noticed.</p><p>“Don’t let it offend your delicate sensibilities, jedi” he laughed. “It’s shortened Mando’a, for Tracy’uur. I answer to the Basic translation mostly nowadays so you can use that.”</p><p>He tapped his holster and smiled broadly. It was friendly in the way a Krayt dragon’s smile is friendly and Obi Wan didn’t much care for it. “For the duration of this little dalliance, consider me to be just a good blaster by your side.</p><p>Obi Wan swallowed a fatalistic sigh. <em>Of course</em> his name was Blaster.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <em>In which absolutely nobody does a risk assessment</em>
</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A day later Obi Wan was hovering around the bridge whilst the tech specialist ran some schematic checks on his datapad when a comm came in. Anakin, Rex, Ahsoka and Jesse were on the backwater trading moon below chasing up some non-GAR regulation equipment and supplies they thought might come in handy later. Privately Obi Wan suspected, and if he were being truthful, hoped, that this included local food. The long list of fruit that the vode had never experienced honestly kept him up at night. He routed the message through the comm table and noted as Blaster and Boil drifted over to watch it as well. Rex’s shimmering figure appeared, helmet off, weariness apparent in the way he was holding himself up.</p><p>“General Kenobi, we’re not going to make the rendezvous as we had a little bit of trouble with our ship. General Skywalker is currently…acquiring another one so we should be with you when that happens. Uhm…just thought I should let you know.”</p><p>“Captain, do you require assistance?” the Commander asked.</p><p>Rex looked over his shoulder just as something exploded, too far away to harm him but clearly significant. “Uhm, no? I’m sure the General will find us a ride soon enough.”</p><p>Ahsoka suddenly appeared by his side. She was filthy and had her lightsaber out, although it wasn’t activated. “Hi Master. We ran into some trouble with some extortion racketeers of all things and Skyguy thought it would just be plain wrong for us not to help out the locals, since they’re so nice, so…well that’s happening. But…”</p><p>“But we’ll be a little late, as I said” Rex finished.</p><p>“It’s still happening?” The Commander looked over and Obi Wan shrugged.</p><p>“If Anakin thinks he’s handling it I suppose we should let him handle it.”</p><p>“You think so.”</p><p>“Rex, we look forward to your safe arrival. Ahsoka, please be careful.”</p><p>“Yes master.”</p><p>The hologram disappeared and Blaster folded his arms. “Rex looked like he’d taken some scrapes.”</p><p>“Mhm.”</p><p>“It was supposed to be a glorified shopping trip.”</p><p>“Indeed.”</p><p>The Commander swore and turned to Boil. “Next time we’re sending that shiny-sheb droid and the dustbin.”</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p>Obi Wan was glad Anakin was joining them but he was also stretched for time implementing new systems on the ship and drilling the men in some hanger procedures he thought might help them when they were about to deploy for a ground assault. On top of all of that, an unforeseen outcome of his visit to medbay had been that Hopeful had looked at his files and noticed Obi Wan was fantastically overdue <em>all</em> his booster shots. When he eventually abandoned the mystery that was his datapad he stopped in to have the dressing on his hand removed and the medic brought it up again.</p><p>“Hopeful, I really don’t think that I’m going to catch Gendi-Gendi fever or Carlusian worms running through some hanger defence scenarios on the cruiser, do you?” he protested mildly.</p><p>“First General, you might already have Tetanus, which is jab 101 for every shiny out there. Think how many sharp things you come into contact with every single minute of every single day? Battle droids? Just walking shrapnel. And don’t get me started on Droidekas once they get popped. Second: if I believed that you were going to drop by the medbay the morning before visiting a planet known to be a hotspot for Gendi-Gendi or <em>Carpusian</em> worms then I wouldn’t mind. But I know you, so I do mind.”</p><p>Obi Wan shrugged. The medic was only doing his job, but he had more pressing things to do. Commander Cody had about a 30/70 success rate of getting Obi Wan to stay in here- a statistic that he felt a little guilty about, but since Cody wasn’t here those odds were unlikely to change.</p><p>“Sorry Hopeful. I believe I must play the privilege of rank here, but I promise eventually I will come back.”</p><p>“What am I supposed to tell Commander Blaster when he asks if I jabbed you? He warned me he’d throw me in the brig with only a copy of<em> Selkie Heart 2: Under The Skin Beats A Heart </em>for company.”</p><p>Obi Wan chuckled. That holonovel was notoriously bad. The Clones understandably found it particularly offensive as the core-world-resident author had set in in Wild Space Kamino, which definitely didn’t have selkies or any aquatic life you’d want to expose your heart (or other body parts) to and was probably far too wet to be considered as a romantic paradise (although he was willing to concede what the vode did on their own time was their business.) Still- it rained <em>almost</em> <em>all the time.</em> He did, however, know Ahsoka found the story engrossing and he delighted in overhearing her ask Rex some very awkward questions about whether any brothers had ever ‘gone native and followed their hearts on nights when the three moons aligned.’ Rex, to his everlasting credit, had sent her in Cody’s direction with a promise of answers, which is why Rex now owned Obi Wan’s finest bottle of Corellian whisky.</p><p>Before the medic could get to his third point Boil commed him. “Hopeful, time to go.”</p><p>“Thanks Boil. I’m on my way.”</p><p>“Ah, The Force intervenes” Obi Wan declared, raising his hands in a helpless gesture. “I suppose I shall go make a nuisance of myself back on the bridge then.”</p><p>“Well since the main hanger’s en route I am going to list all the horrible symptoms you can expect if you don’t have your booster shots. Shall we start with swellings or leakages?”</p><p> </p><p>It was only a little while later, when Obi Wan was talking Boil through an invasion scenario for Felucia that he thought to enquire about the medical emergency in the hanger.</p><p>“Emergency sir? Not that I’m aware of. If it was something major it’d have been reported through to me as watch officer. Minor stuff’s picked up by the hanger medic on deck so Hopeful isn’t bothered by it. Why’d you ask?”</p><p>Obi Wan folded his arms and stroked his beard. “I’m just…hold on, why are you watch officer? We haven’t had a shift change. Where’s the Commander?”</p><p>Boil hesitated. “Uh, he’s…he’s unavailable at the moment.”</p><p>“Boil?”</p><p>“…He’s with Hopeful, sir.”</p><p>“Hopeful who isn’t in the hanger.”</p><p>“No sir.”</p><p>“Or the medbay.”</p><p>Boil shook his head.</p><p>“Boil.”</p><p>The clone relented. “He went with the Commander down to the moon. In case they needed a medic.”</p><p>Obi Wan glanced out of the view screen at the planet below. He replayed Rex’s message in his head.</p><p>“The Commander has gone to evacuate them? Without informing me?”</p><p>Boil shifted his weight from side to side, clearly feeling uncomfortable. “I did hint that he might want to keep you in the loop about going…” he started.</p><p>“And….” Obi Wan could almost predict what happened next. Not the actual words, but the sentiment. Oh yes, the sentiment.</p><p>“He asked me if you always informed Commander Cody of when you were about to go on an…excursion.”</p><p>Obi Wan scowled. “I find it very hard to believe that Blaster used the word ‘excursion.’”</p><p>Boil wished he had his bucket on but it was discouraged during watch. He was pretty certain the jedi was glaring at his throat as he swallowed heavily. “He said…actually General if it’s okay with you I don’t think I should repeat what he said because out of context…”</p><p>“Lieutenant.”</p><p>“Even in context…”</p><p>The jedi narrowed his eyes.</p><p>“The Commander said that the Commander, the other commander, should have taken his advice and… actually sir, I’m not gonna say it.”</p><p>He grimaced. “Well under the circumstances I appreciate you protecting my delicate ears, Boil.”</p><p>“Yes sir.” Boil shuffled again. “It’s just, well, as we say ‘<em>Tion'ad hukaat'kama?’</em></p><p>Obi Wan took a moment to work through the translation. “‘Who’s watching your back.’”</p><p>“Yes sir. And if you don’t mind me saying, the Commander, I mean, our Commander, the usual Commander…”</p><p>“Cody.”</p><p>“Yes sir. He, well, we all…” Boil chewed his lip, gentled his voice. “You went to Mandalore by yourself.”</p><p>It was one more mistake in a long line of regrets he had about that…excursion. Would it have made a difference if he hadn’t rushed off, letting his emotions and over-confidence guide him instead of wisdom and forethought? He would never know, and on his return Master Plo had taken the time to talk him through the unnecessary pain that existed in getting lost to what-ifs.  </p><p>Obi Wan sighed deeply and hung his head. “Yes, I did.”</p><p>Boil moved around the table and after a moment of hesitation gently knocked his short pauldron against the jedi’s shoulder. Obi Wan was startled by the gesture, so intimately belonging to the vode. He glanced up at the lieutenant, who shrugged.</p><p>“You watch our back, General, all the time. It’s only right you let us do the same.”</p><p>“I’m not…” Obi Wan put his hands in his sleeves and looked away.</p><p>“Well you know how it is, spend enough time with Waxer and everybody gets adopted into the vode.” Boil must have realised how off the radar he was taking them both with this proposition, adding as a totally ineffective afterthought: “General.”</p><p>Obi Wan ran his eyes over the clone’s customised helmet, reached for more light-hearted ground. “Ah yes, how is Numa?”</p><p>Boil failed to keep the proud beam off his face. “She wrote me a poem.”</p><p>Something warm flared inside Obi Wan, only growing more complicated when Boil added “It’s my first ever one.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>*</p><p>“I met your new Commander” Anakin said, deflecting a blaster bolt that had come their way. “Trapper told Rex that you kept calling him Captain. I bet that went down well.”</p><p>Obi Wan leaned around the wall and Force pushed the assailant against a stack of cargo crates. They toppled on top of her and she didn’t get up. “It was one time- maybe twice. I was tired and disorientated, but I am certain I can find common ground in which to cement our partnership.”</p><p>Ahsoka bumped him on the elbow. “Ah, you speak of the infamous Kenobi charm and disarm strategy known throughout the galaxy.”</p><p>“I will endeavour to synchronise our professional relationship, yes, before I leave for retreat. Even though he attacked me with a cat.”</p><p>“Retreat? With a what?”</p><p>“Master Kenobi is about to go on meditative retreat, Ahsoka, which is an allotted amount of time for a jedi to submerge themselves once again in the living force, strengthen bonds and reach new insights.”</p><p>Ahsoka seemed to understand because she said lightly “Oh, so that’s what you did for two weeks when you went to Naboo?” Obi Wan just about managed to swallow down the snort. “But what’s that got to do with a cat?”</p><p>Fortunately for both masters an armoured vehicle lumbered into the street and so the conversation was curtailed.</p><p>“They have a hovertank!” Anakin spluttered.</p><p>“Well that’s unexpected” Obi Wan said.</p><p>“How did they get a tank?”</p><p>Ashoka shrugged. “Maybe they extorted it out of someone, Master.”</p><p>“Yes, very funny Snips. Any chance you have poppers in that backpack?”</p><p>She shook her head mournfully. “Only castor plums and I don’t want to waste them on that hunk of junk. Kicker promised everyone crumble.”</p><p>“Oh dear” Obi Wan said.</p><p>“Regretting crashing the party, Obi Wan?” Anakin asked. A corner of building exploded into rubble somewhere behind them as the gunner aboard the tank worked at getting their eye in.</p><p>“I presumed that it was probably my turn to rescue you” he replied.</p><p>“Commander Blaster was rescuing us already, master” Ahsoka said.</p><p>“Yes, well…I can see he’s done an excellent job so far.”</p><p>“I like his beard” she said. “It makes me want to pat his face.” Anakin made a small wounded noise in his throat.</p><p> </p><p>Blaster was nowhere to be seen. Obi Wan had caught a glimpse of him, Rex and Jesse hightailing it out of a shopfront to seek better cover but that had been a while ago. He looked supremely unprotected in his grey uniform and for the love of the Force why hadn’t he at least brought a helmet with him? At one point he’d had to turn away, since the sight of the temporary Marshall Commander of the entire 212<sup>th</sup> using what appeared to be a dustbin lid as a shield was a little too galling.</p><p>“Did you at least get the supplies you came for?”</p><p>“Yes master” Anakin said. “They’re piled up on a skiff on the outskirts of town. Now if you could just stop your performance review for a minute and help me take out these scumbags maybe we can get back to The Duck in time before everything perishable perishes.”</p><p>“Agreed. We’ll take the tank together. And I am going to change the name, of course.”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>“What shall I do?” Ahsoka asked.</p><p>Obi Wan pointed up at the roof of a café. “I do believe there’s some locals taking shelter up there. Hopeful’s with them. A fine choice up until our friend the hovertank arrived.”</p><p>“On it, Master Kenobi.” She sprang away and made a dash for her target.   </p><p>“Shall we?” Anakin said.</p><p>“Let’s.”</p><p> </p><p>They both poked their heads back round the wall just in time to see the hovertank inexplicably explode into a lightening crackle of blue energy. It sputtered to a stop and a moment later the frazzled driver and gunner emerged from their hatches, their hands in the air. The jedis watched in bewilderment as a figure rolled out from under the undercarriage and pulled himself to his feet. He thunked the side of his helmet a few times with his gauntlet but eventually pulled it off his head and dropped it to the floor. From across the street Jesse and Blaster emerged.</p><p>“Nice one Rex!” Jesse yelled. “Couldn’t have done it better myself.”</p><p>“Yeah well last time I draw the short straw.”</p><p>“You volunteered, vod!”</p><p>Rex shrugged then broke out into an enormous grin “Never taken one out from that close before. EMP’s totally zapped my bucket though.”</p><p>“Excellent work, gentleman” Obi Wan called out, as he and Anakin strolled up the now peaceful street. In the distance he could see Ahsoka bounding down the walls and heading in their direction. “Ingenious idea to stow away underneath the vehicle.”</p><p>Rex gestured towards Blaster. “Commander’s idea, General.”</p><p>Blaster gave an acknowledging nod and patted down his uniform. “Well I sure as kark wasn’t dressed for it. Obi Wan, hello.”</p><p>“Commander” he said disapprovingly. “You’re not wearing any armour.”</p><p>“Neither are you.”</p><p>Obi Wan pursed his lips. It was true that in recent months he’d abandoned his cuirass. The war was intensifying and yet his level of comfort at being a part of it was diminishing, and something about the armour represented that in his mind. He didn’t want to make a scene in what was still a moment to celebrate, but still. He reactivated his lightsaber and chose his language lightly. “I have a laser sword.”</p><p>Blaster wrapped his arm around the Captain’s broad shoulders. He looked supremely comfortable doing it.</p><p>“I have a Rex.”</p><p>Anakin rolled his eyes and Jesse looked confused at what was happening. Obi Wan gave up.</p><p>“Alright. But in the future, I’d appreciate it if you would tell me before you leave for some risky jaunt. Just for my own peace of mind.”</p><p>“Of course” he replied. He caught Obi Wan’s eye and held it for a moment. “Likewise.”</p><p>Obi Wan nodded. He conceded that it did make sense and there was no need for him to cause undue worry amongst the men. Not that Commander Blaster would be likely to worry about him, but still. Some safeguards were perhaps put in place for a reason.</p><p>Just then he felt something tugging on the edge of his awareness, demanding his attention, then suddenly blaring a fraught warning in his mind. He moved on instinct, flinging himself forward, so that by the time the fallen assailant by the crates had squeezed the trigger of her blaster his lightsaber was a searing arc of protection between the bolts and the Commander. She got off three shots before Jesse downed her forever.</p><p>Everyone unfroze and glanced at each other, reassuring themselves they were still alive. Blaster took a loud sharp breath in then sucked in his bottom lip.</p><p>“I didn’t sense her at all” Anakin said quietly.</p><p>“Me neither” his padawan added.</p><p>Obi Wan turned and ran his eyes quickly over the Commander. The roar under his skin curled up into something thrumming with satisfaction.</p><p>“Thank you, General” he said shakily. Dimly Obi Wan noted that Rex was gripping his wrist.</p><p>The jedi nodded. “Is that all of them dealt with?”</p><p>Jesse answered. “Yes sir. We thought we had them before you arrived but then that second lot turned up.” He looked up at a building behind them. “Ah, Hopeful’s bringing down some of the townfolk now.”</p><p>Hopeful veered off from the civilians and trotted over to join them. “Nice work with the tank, sirs. Everyone seems okay. The local mayor’s real happy we rid them of the racketeers.”</p><p>“Maybe we should renegotiate a discount on the supplies” Jesse said lightly, lifting the mood. Obi Wan pretended to frown and Jesse raised his hands in an apology.</p><p>“We’ll help with some clean-up before we leave” Anakin said. He pointed at what looked like a small meeting hall. “Hopeful, you can treat anyone who got caught in the cross-fire in there. We’ll meet you in the mess hall of The Duck, Obi Wan, when we’re finished, for some scran.”</p><p>Obi Wan as yet hadn’t picked a new name for the ship, it being a trivial thing under the circumstances. But he was also very aware that the longer he left it the more permanent the name The Duck would start to feel. There was a very small window and if he didn’t do it soon it would be too late. He mentally added it to growing list of things he wanted to get done.</p><p>“Commander Blaster,” Anakin continued “Hopeful was saying some of the Venator systems are being a bit temperamental. Ahsoka’s happy to help out your engineers with some tinkering.”</p><p>“Too right” she said, “Grease me up.” Everyone suddenly found the uninteresting architectural style of the backwater trading spot fascinating. Anakin made a mental note to tell Rex to stop taking her to 79’s.</p><p>“Master Kenobi and I are going to take the new ET-3 fighters out once we’re done here and log some hours. I’ve been working on some new attack formations and I want to run him through them whilst we’re not under attack by actual viper droids.”</p><p>Obi Wan had forgotten about that.</p><p>The Commander glanced over Obi Wan’s shoulder at the medic. He then gave Kenobi himself an enquiring look as if to suggest this activity was unexpected news to him. “I’ve been reliably informed that the Gendi-Gendi inoculation can cause some nausea, General. It would be very unfortunate if you threw up in your little fighter.”</p><p>Anakin and Ahsoka both turned to look at Obi Wan.</p><p>“Yes, thank you for your concern but I am sure I’ll be fine” he replied curtly, hoping he sounded in charge when in fact he was pretty sure he was somehow now being told off.</p><p>“Are you sure?”</p><p>“Yes. I can always…”</p><p>The Commander finished his utterance, though entirely not with the words Obi Wan had intended to use, “…use the force?” he asked sincerely.</p><p>Beside him he heard Ahsoka snicker.</p><p>Well now he either said yes, (which was ridiculous because that was definitely not what the Force was for) or he said no and left the image of him maybe throwing up in a confined space in everyone’s minds. He could announce that since he hadn’t <em>had</em> the jab there was no likelihood of mishap- except he suspected everyone already knew he had skipped it. He took a moment to contemplate the exchange and wondered if this was entrapment. And he’d only just saved the man’s life.</p><p>“Well I’m going to take a stroll around before heading back to my ship” he said, deflecting. “It looks like a nice trading post- minor rubble notwithstanding.” Local merchants were beginning to appear from where they had been hiding, and already the skirmish was being relegated to history. “I suspect I am right in assuming that supply skiff doesn’t have any tea on it.”</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <em>In which there are multiple failures in taxonomy</em>
</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Obi Wan looked at the plant on his desk and couldn’t help but wistfully think back to that glimpsed hydroponics garden on the top-of-the-range Venator he didn’t have because he had The Duck. It would’ve been a perfect haven for his meditation: life drew from life. Life did not draw from a pile of dirty laundry and an oily blaster tool kit he’d pilfered from Cody’s quarters down the passageway in order to try and boost his lightsaber power matrix.</p><p> </p><p>The weapon was lying idly on the shelf where he’d placed it, out of reach. He closed his eyes, flexed the fingers of his free hand and stretched out, willing it to come.</p><p>It did no such thing.</p><p>He went back a stage and just concentrated on focussing on it, feeling it with his mind, imagining it comfortably fitting in his palm, like it belonged there.</p><p>It clearly felt differently about the relationship and stayed put.</p><p>Obi Wan sighed and righted himself from his handstand, taking a moment to let the blood rush away from his face. He shook his cramped arm, clearly out of practice and dropped into lotus.</p><p><em>I’m trying too hard to do something</em> he concluded. <em>When perhaps I should be trying to understand something. </em></p><p>He contemplated lightsabers, their purpose, their symbolism, their connection to the wielder. <em>This weapon is your life</em>. He’d said that to Anakin, and Anakin had said that to Ahsoka. And once upon a time Qui Gonn had said it to him. He thought about <em>his</em> lightsaber. This was his third. The first, modelled on Qui Gonn’s, he’d lost in the duel on Naboo with Darth Maul. The second he’d lost on Geonosis chasing Jango Fett. This one he’d had throughout the Clone Wars. (Well, he had in fact also lost this one a handful of times but it had so far always found its way back to him.)</p><p>A padawan’s saber, a Jedi’s saber and finally a soldier’s saber.</p><p>It appeared that his weapon had changed as much as he had.</p><p> </p><p>He thought about the component parts, then specifically the kyber crystal at its heart. He recalled travelling to Illum with his clanmates for his first lightsaber crystal, (only Quinlan left in the Order now, and that was up for debate) how excited they all were, how full of nerves he was. Master Yoda had warned them about being trapped inside the caves when the ice door froze and even before they'd crossed the threshold his mind was racked with anxiety that he might have to make the difficult choice between leaving empty handed or freezing to death alone in the vast caverns. His younger self hadn't even been sure what the right choice was. So long ago. A different person.</p><p>Now, he allowed himself the briefest indulgence of basking in a different recollection of ice.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Go back to sleep” came a quiet voice next to him. “It’s too early to get up.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Obi Wan moved again, carefully, trying to minimise jostling as he sat up. The interior of the tent was the wrong side of chilly, and he immediately missed the warmth of being under his survival blanket. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He ran his hand through his undoubtedly messed up hair, promising himself a much-needed cut if they ever completed this mission and got back to The Negotiator. If there was one truism about clones, it was that you were never very far from some clippers. The flopping in his eyes he could normally manage, but in a climate such as this that meant shards of icicles forming, releasing droplets of water at inopportune moments. He’d spent half of yesterday’s hike wiping his own forehead with the fur brim of his hood. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Early is a good time to start anything, wouldn’t you say?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Got some exciting plans, do you?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Obi Wan let himself form a small smile. After a handful of these deployments he’d figured out that Commander Cody was possibly more conversational when half asleep than when in a full set of armour on his sixth cup of caf. Certainly, more coolly insubordinate.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Lots actually.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He watched an arm appear from under the Commander’s blanket, reach over and, with an accuracy remarkable for someone not Force sensitive and with their eyes closed, find a comm.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Quickstep.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A moment later a clone’s shivering voice filled their two-man tent. “Yes sir”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Who’s on watch with you?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Crank, sir.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Call him over and tell him to take his bucket off.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yes sir.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>In the silence that followed Obi Wan once again admired how loyal the clones were to their commander. On an arctic moon a temperature-integrated helmet was integral to survival-he might’ve queried that strange request. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“All done, sir.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Now. In ten words or less describe his face, will you, Lieutenant.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Another pause, with the sound of someone nearby taking short quick breaths and patting their gloves against their arms. “His eyebrows have turned white and frozen together, sir.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Obi Wan rolled his eyes. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Thank you soldier. He can put it back on now.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Very good sir.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The comm dropped gently back to where it had been. He still hadn’t opened his eyes. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You know Cody,” Obi Wan remarked, twisting to face the prone figure “I feel the need to point out that that was a little over dramatic.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Finally this earned him a cracked open eyelid. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Morning” Obi Wan added, quietly, idiotically.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Commander blinked and yawned unselfconsciously. “I wonder where I picked that bad habit up from.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The jedi feigned a scowl. The commander just rolled onto his side and burrowed back down into his bedroll. His voice was muffled but still audible. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Also, the Lieutenant only needed to use nine out of the ten. That’s Ghost Company for you- saving lives and saving words.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Obi Wan laughed and breathed into his already freezing hands. Sithspit it was cold. A moment later he was back under his blanket.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“An hour, tops” he said, attempting to assert some authority at least.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yes General” came the reply, and then nothing more but silence and warmth and sleep. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p>Obi Wan reached out for Master Plo’s wisdom, thought back to the classes the jedi had taught in the temple on the essence of things. He’d cycled through the parts of his lightsaber, reasoning it was time to dwell on its nature. Choose ten words. See if they do the trick.</p><p>
  <em>Protection. Extension. Ally.</em>
</p><p>He breathed deeply, tried to capture how it was now.</p><p>
  <em>Resistant. Separate. Unresolved. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Unsubtle metaphor for. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>He flopped onto his back, stubbornly refusing to add the final word. The ceiling judged him hard but it didn’t understand.</p><p>It didn't know the Force could be a real smug dick sometimes.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Obi Wan took a step forward and held out the plant.</p><p>Commander Blaster narrowed his eyes.</p><p>“It’s a peace offering. I acknowledge that of late I have been known to sidestep some safeguards that everyone else is expected to abide by. And that this behaviour has at times caused undue anxiety” he glanced over at Boil. The Lieutenant winked back at him. “Commander, I know you and I are only going to be colleagues for a few more rotations before I leave on retreat, but I would very much like, in that short period of time, for you to experience the 212<sup>th</sup> at its best -starting with its General.”</p><p>Speech over, he presented the foliage. It had a few slender stems ending in flowers of cupped purple spindles that sat in a skirt of white, and it was quite attractive a far as flora went. He had been gifted it by the Monsolarian owner of the tea shop on the trading moon below after a long and surprisingly heartfelt conversation between the two of them, brought on by the soothing vapours of some very potent herbal concoction the Monsolarian had brewed up. After Obi Wan had somehow managed to emotionally unburden himself as much as was possible for a jedi driven by proprietary and obligation could do, his new, sympathetic friend had disappeared into the glasshouse at the back of the shop and returned a few minutes later, the plant held between their two thick gardening gloves.</p><p>“Apparently it’s a <em>Cirsium heterophyllum</em>” he explained, recalling the new name from his memory. “More commonly known as Melancholy Thistle.”</p><p>“Melancholy? And I’m the trikar’la Binog that sprang to mind as a recipient?”</p><p>Obi Wan shifted on his feet, shaking off the arresting image of a sad creature who lived for a thousand years but only mated once. Beside him Anakin chuckled. “Well no” he clarified. “Remember, the Monsolarian gave it to <em>me</em>. I am now giving it to you. Simply because it looks nice and may brighten up your quarters- not because of anything else.”</p><p>“Wait, so…you were the melancholy one then?” Boil said.</p><p>“What’s melancholy?” Ahsoka asked.</p><p>Obi Wan felt the situation slipping away from him. He plonked the plant down on the table and tried to hurry the conversation along to other topics now he’d done his peace offering thing. He still had to go fly his fighter with Anakin, and complete the hanger drills, and try and get his datapad to work and oh about a dozen other things that had added themselves to the list without his permission.</p><p>The Commander’s gaze passed between the plant and the jedi. He didn’t look grateful. He looked…well if Obi Wan <em>had</em> to define the emotion he would guess <em>pensive</em>.</p><p>“Oh look, it’s not going to bite” Obi Wan groused. “I’m more than happy to rescind my offering and give it a home in my quarters.”</p><p>Blaster’s attention shifted to Anakin. “General Skywalker, this come up in the transport with you?”</p><p>“Nope.” He poked the plant with his mech hand. “By the looks of it, Obi Wan crammed it into the cockpit next to him.”</p><p>“I did not <em>cram</em> it” his master replied. “It’s very robust. And you can make tea out of it, obviously, if you feel inclined.”</p><p>Blaster leaned forward and activated the comm on the table. “Hopeful?”</p><p>“Yes sir?”</p><p>“Put down that Balnab fanfic you’re reading and bring your shebs to the bridge, will you?”</p><p>Obi Wan arched an eyebrow and received a one-word, catch-all explanation from Boil. “Medics.”</p><p>“Yes sir. Be there in a couple of minutes.”</p><p>“Thank you for my gift, Obi Wan” the Commander suddenly said, graciously. He made no move to touch the plant but smiled warmly, nonetheless. Obi Wan felt pleased and relieved that they’d taken one small step to resetting their fractious beginnings. He <em>knew</em> the gift was an inspired idea: he wasn’t The Negotiator for nothing.</p><p> </p><p>The Commander reactivated a panel on the table. “Now. I have a message from Master Yoda.”</p><p>A moment later a hologram of the Grand Jedi appeared. “Good to see you it is, my friends. Master Kenobi, solved the mystery of your datapad security problem I have.”</p><p>Obi Wan breathed a sigh of relief. He’d been skittish being out of the loop and even if he knew in an emergency there were ways and means around it, he was glad it was getting sorted out.</p><p>“Great lengths to hide the truth during the time you were presumed dead the council went to…” Obi Wan saw a look of surprise flash across Commander Blaster’s face “including closing your file and terminating your military service. News of your unexpected resurrection it appears did not reach the software writers of the Anaxes shipyards.”</p><p>In many ways he was relieved that Cody wasn’t here for this. As trivial as it probably appeared to Commander Blaster- just some red tape gone awry- Obi Wan suspected that for Cody there was still a difficult emotional weight attached to that period of both of their lives. He hadn’t told Anakin of the plan to fake his death and became Rako Hardeen in order to uncover the plot to kidnap the chancellor because the council had all agreed that Anakin was too volatile to be trusted with the information, too headstrong. But, if he was completely honest with himself, Obi Wan had, for a moment, considered confiding in Cody. Not because he wanted to ensure there was a safety net if things went wrong- he had the jedi council for that- but because he sensed that news of his death was going to cause undue pain. He understood that was true for Duchess Satine as well and couldn’t quite explain to himself what the difference was, but he felt it. In the end of course he kept the secret as he was instructed, but that first reunion had been distressing because they both behaved as if it wasn’t.</p><p>It was one of the unforeseen consequences he hated most about the whole Hardeen affair: that it made his commander feel like he couldn’t talk to him, that everything regressed to procedures and mission details and that was it. They had edged their way to reconciliation over the following months, through a joint commitment to clumsy, dogged conversation on his part and Cody fighting against his return to reticence. They were both so inexperienced at protecting something fragile but were learning as they went along. That the disagreement in Alderaan was without heat felt like they were finally reaching a resolution, with Obi Wan knowing he was likely to concede that the whole Hardeen plan had been, to use the parlance of Cody’s replacement <em>a load of kriffing kark-shaped stang in the first place</em>.  </p><p> </p><p>“Wait, so Master Kenobi isn’t a general?” Ahsoka exclaimed.</p><p>Master Yoda shook his head. “Without rank he is. Rectify this we must.”</p><p>Anakin burst out laughing.</p><p>“I don’t see what’s so funny” Obi Wan said. “It’s merely a technicality.”</p><p>Yoda contradicted him. “Unfortunate it is, and harmless yes, but a technicality it is not. The Grand Army of the Republic is a Republic organisation and even the jedi must adhere to the structures and procedures within it.”</p><p>Obi Wan waved a hand dismissively. “Then reinstate me, Master, and we can move on with the next phase of the campaign.”</p><p>“Alas, I cannot. To grant the rank of High General of the Grand Army is the purview of the jedi council and senate committee jointly. Meet we must, to make this happen, yet more pressing business the council has at this time. Engage Count Dooku’s forces we are and unable to convene on any matters outside this crisis.”</p><p>Obi Wan groaned. Although he was much more tolerant of bureaucracy than Anakin- as evidenced by the mountain of paperwork he tackled everyday- even this seemed a little excessive.</p><p>“Maybe this means you can go on holiday for a bit, master” Anakin quipped. “Now that you’re a civilian again. I’m sure the Hive Queen on Geonosis would be delighted to put you up, no hard feelings.”</p><p>“A field commission is however possible. Commander Blaster” Yoda said, “As highest-ranking officer in the field, to give Master Kenobi a temporary military rank at your discretion it is.”</p><p>Blaster glanced over at Obi Wan then returned to the hologram. “I understand, General.”</p><p>“Hold on” Anakin interrupted. “What about me? I’m a general.”</p><p>Yoda glanced between Kenobi and Skywalker. “Hmm. Awkward this is, but the same rank as Commander Cody Commander Blaster temporarily holds. Promote Cody to Marshall Commander Obi Wan did. Outranked you are.”</p><p>Anakin turned to Obi Wan “Of course you did” he said, rolling his eyes.</p><p>“I stand by my decision” he retorted, folding his arms. “Cody earned that promotion and I wanted to make sure, if I was…gone for some reason, that he would have permanent command of the 212<sup>th</sup>.”</p><p>“Doesn’t seem that permanent since he isn’t here” Anakin snarked.</p><p>“Because Master Yoda sent the 99…”</p><p>“I know Master Yoda asked you if the <em>suggested </em>transfer would have any negative consequences.”</p><p>Yoda, aware there were jedi bickering in from of a bridge of professional soldiers, gave a little cough. Obi Wan took the note.</p><p>“Let’s wrap this up and I can get back to the drills I was going to run with the men.”</p><p>“You mean the fighter drills you were going to run with me?”</p><p>Obi Wan ignored him and turned to the Commander. “Shall we get this over with?”</p><p>“Master Kenobi?” Obi Wan distantly noted that Blaster had already dropped his rank and resorted back to his jedi moniker. Well, at least it wasn’t his first name again. </p><p>“The rank?”</p><p>“Ah yes. Of course.” He addressed Master Yoda. “I would suggest Captain is a good place to start.”</p><p>Obi Wan just about managed to swallow his indignation.</p><p>“Captain?” he heard himself having gone up a few octaves.</p><p>Just about.</p><p>Yoda said sternly “Been a Captain before, have you?”</p><p>“Well, no….”</p><p>“Opportunity you have for a new experience then, yes?”</p><p>“I suppose so….”</p><p>“Informative this may turn out to be.”</p><p>“Uh.”</p><p>“Very good Commander” Yoda concluded, evidently amused. “A most interesting decision have you made. Most interesting. Master Kenobi, talk later about your meditative tasks we will.”</p><p>“Yes master.”</p><p>A moment later he was gone.  </p><p>Blaster clocked Hopeful appearing through the command centre doors and excused himself. “General Skywalker, Commander Tano, Obi Wan, I’ll just be a moment.”</p><p> </p><p>Evidently he wasn’t even going to use his new rank. </p><p> </p><p>Anakin guffawed and patted his former master on the shoulder in a way that was more patronising that comforting. “I like him. He might be my new favourite.”</p><p>Ahsoka looked conflicted. “So Master Kenobi, uhm, does that mean I outrank you?”</p><p>Obi Wan sighed. “I have many bad feelings about this.”</p><p>He watched as the Commander and Hopeful discussed something out of earshot. The medic leaned past Blaster to look over at the jedi then said something to the Commander which elicited a shrug from the latter. He suspected they were talking about his inoculations.</p><p>Hopeful retrieved a data scanner from somewhere and came trotting over at some speed, making a beeline for the table.  He pointed firmly at the plant. ‘Well that’s highly poisonous.”</p><p>Obi Wan noticed everybody simultaneously take a small step back.</p><p>“General, I am delighted to see that, since you are standing in front of us and not a pile of drooling goo on the floor of your quarters, you haven’t as yet made any tea from it.”</p><p>“No…”</p><p>“And thank the moons you’re all wearing gloves.”</p><p>Anakin frowned. “It’s poisonous? But Obi Wan was given it by a…” he made an attempt to remember the species, but really, he’d never been very good at retaining that kind of information. It must drive the Senator mad with embarrassment. “Moncalamarian…”</p><p>“Monsolarian”</p><p>“…tea merchant. Why would they give him something that’s gonna kill him?”</p><p>Hopeful ran the data scanner over the offending article.</p><p>“Melancholy thistle, as I suspected. It’s actually one of 143 species of flora on the Republic import/export black list. If it’d come in with the other supplies the biofilters would’ve caught it.”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>“Monsolarian you say? Hold on, let me double check…” he typed some new information into the data-scanner. “If I cross reference the two it says that the Monsolarian have a deep held belief that to experience joy is to live a full life. And by that central tenet if someone is joyless…</p><p>“Melancholy?” Ahsoka offered, clearly hoping to nail the meaning and gain some credit. Here at the 212<sup>th</sup> knowledge is everyone’s vod.</p><p>“…then they have no purpose to go on living.”</p><p>“Oh kriff that’s depressing” Anakin said.</p><p>“Their culture provides many imaginative ways to end such suffering. There is understandably a real focus on making them as painless as possible.”</p><p>The Commander folded his arms and scowled at the jedi culprit. “Like a nice cup of tea.”</p><p>Obi Wan noticed Ahsoka tug on her master’s sleeve and whisper “He looks like Commander Cody when he’s really mad at you.”</p><p>Anakin nodded. “Yeah, that’s really unsettling on so many levels.”</p><p>Obi Wan decided to write off the whole day, even though it wasn’t even half over. He even considered brewing up some of the tea- though whether for himself or someone else he really couldn’t decide.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p>Back in his quarters later his datapad let him know his security clearance was operational and his holopad had a follow-up message waiting from Master Yoda. The screen lit up with the words ‘<em>Incoming transmission for Captain Kenobi.’ </em></p><p>“Master Kenobi,”</p><p>“Master Yoda.”</p><p>“Requested I have that you be dropped off on Ossus for your meditative assignment. Dwelt on this deeply I have, since our conversation on Alderaan. As I said then, most important it is that you are connected to those who rely upon you. And whom you in turn may need to call upon in times of emergency. Skywalker, yes. And his padawan Ahsoka, but also others whose presences form a web of emotion, skill and inspiration.”</p><p>Yoda paused and took a breath. His demeanour softened. “Why you are reluctant to reach for these bonds, understand I do. The loss of Duchess Satine was a terrible wound for the Republic, Mandalore, her family and for you. Close you were and grieve you do. Not the first loss you have experienced either: your master, Qui Gonn Jinn also taken from you before it was time. But alone you are not and turn your back on support you should not.”</p><p>Obi Wan felt exposed by Master Yoda’s insights but grateful to be in the presence of someone who cared about his well-being and growth in the Force. He sorely missed being back at the Temple. “Yes Master” he replied respectfully.</p><p>“Tasked then, you are, with reforging the bond you have broken. Risky it is to be a conduit for shared emotions, yes, but only through connection to the living force can we live fully and wisely and see the way forward.” Yoda lifted his chin and moved his head, as if to indicate the ship in general.  “Obvious to everyone it is that Commander Cody is integral to the success of the GAR and winning the war. Far beyond the imaginings of the Kaminoans has this clone grown. Resourceful, measured and brave he is. Also, a most excellent sense of humour at your expense I am told he possesses.”</p><p>Obi Wan just about managed to conceal his mortification.</p><p>“Too valuable he is for you to risk severing yourself from. The Force brings people together for its own reasons, so find the Commander once again in the Force you must.”</p><p>Obi Wan frowned, identifying a problem. “But Cody isn’t here. He could be on the other side of the galaxy for all I know. What you ask is impossible, Master.”</p><p>Yoda sighed. “Forget the lesson even younglings know, Obi Wan? That distance matters not. In front of your very eyes something may be and yet see it you do not. Or far far away from you…” he raised his gimer stick and flicked it to the side. Obi Wan startled as his cup fell with a clatter to the floor “yet make its presence known it will.”</p><p>“Yes Master” Obi Wan said, humbled.</p><p>Yoda paused again and this time Obi Wan thought he caught a glimpse of an ever so small smile forming across the jedi’s face. “A rocky start to this new working relationship you have had. Most unfortunate it would be if ‘The Negotiator’ were to lose his temper and thus his hard-earned nickname. Easy it is to focus on the fact that Commander Blaster is not who you expect to be by your side, but foolish this would be, Obi Wan. Trust you must that both of you are in the right place. Time enough there is before you arrive at Ossus to work on remedying this also.”</p><p> </p><p>Obi Wan realised as he said it that he sounded like a whiney padawan but allowed himself one more vent. “He’s quite…. unfathomable. Anakin and I were going to take our fighters out, but he decided to instruct the deck crew to give my ship a paint job at the last minute. Apparently it was the wrong colour for the 212<sup>th</sup>.”</p><p>Yoda nodded and stroked his chin, contemplating. “Unexpected free time you now have. Perhaps more pressing activity than enabling Skywalker’s whims you can now undertake?”</p><p>Obi Wan hadn’t thought about it like that but Yoda was right. He thought back through the morning. There were many things he could now do, but Hopeful’s honest, hard-working face appeared before him.</p><p>“Yes Master. I believe I have a promise to keep.”</p><p>“Then leave you I will, Obi Wan.” Yoda smiled and vanished and a moment later the holopad deactivated.</p><p>Obi Wan scooped up the cup, left it on his desk, and steeled himself to spend the next part of his day being jabbed with needles. It seemed like Commander Blaster had somehow got his way, after all.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p>Much later there was a tap on his door. He opened it and found Commander Blaster waiting.</p><p>“May I come in?”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>The commander stepped inside and took at seat at the desk. Obi Wan sat in the chair by the side. “I’d offer you something to drink, but under the circumstances…”</p><p>Blaster smiled at the joke but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.</p><p>“How are you feeling after the inoculations?”</p><p>“Sore. I think Hopeful injected me with a healthy dose of personal disappointment as well as all the antibodies.”</p><p> “Are you looking forward to going on your meditative retreat?”</p><p>He nodded. “I am. There are…jedi-related struggles that I am experiencing that would benefit from the balm of being away from the war, even for such a short period of time.” He risked a glance at the metal plate in the other man’s face. “And what about you, Commander. Do you miss Clone Troop 99? I imagine this…” he waved around the room, indicating the ship in general “is a little out of your comfort zone, if you don’t mind me saying.”</p><p>Blaster nodded. “You could say that. Osik GAR training. Who comes up with these karking ideas?”</p><p>Obi Wan laughed lightly. “Who indeed? Though I am sure Commander Cody appreciates you stepping in so he can complete his field training.”</p><p>This earned him a scowl. “Yeah well, like I said, Cody’s had some di’kut notions and between you and me I think this ranks pretty kriffing high.”</p><p>“But it wasn’t really his idea.”</p><p>The other man huffed. Obi Wan detected some heat behind it. “He could’ve made it go away.”</p><p>Blaster picked up an abandoned datapad from the desk, glanced at it then stacked it neatly on top of another one. “But it’s only another three days and then this is over.”</p><p>“Yes. And aside from this morning’s little skirmish we won’t be seeing any conflicts en route to Ossus.”</p><p>He continued to absent-mindedly tidy Obi Wan’s desk before catching himself and stopping. Obi Wan thought about what Blaster had just said about Cody. If he could’ve avoided leaving but hadn’t then perhaps he wanted to go, to not be here for a while. And really the only reason he could think of, the only cause of that change, had to be Obi Wan himself.</p><p>The escape pod had felt too small. Maybe for Cody the entire ship now did, too.  </p><p>Oh this war.</p><p>It was the reason Cody existed and it was the reason Obi Wan wasn’t sure how to anymore.</p><p>“Anyway. I get that this is hard for you, me being here, and the…other stuff you have on your mind that is making you feel…” he didn’t mention the plant, “so….”</p><p>Obi Wan interrupted him, uncomfortable that the Commander was also clearly uncomfortable. “Please. Do not trouble yourself with another thought on my behalf.”</p><p>“Anyway, I thought you might like to talk to a friend.”</p><p>Obi Wan glanced back at the door.</p><p>“No, I mean…” the Commander fished a holopad out of his pocket and rested it on the desk. “He only has a minute, but….” A shimmering figure appeared dressed in a beat-up field jacket and non-descript swoop cap. The projection was weak, flickering in and out of focus. He said only one word but it was enough.</p><p>“General.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Obi Wan took a moment. It had been weeks. There had been wind, and cats and racketeers. There had been Blaster. And now suddenly he was here, saying his name.</p><p> </p><p>Well, not his name. Obi Wan had tried and failed to get his Commander to use his name. It was infuriatingly admirable and stupid.</p><p>“Cody?”</p><p>The figure turned slightly to address the other man. Obi Wan just let himself look. </p><p>“Commander Blaster. With regard to any planetary visits made during my absence, some of the responsibility must lay with me. I am fully aware of General Kenobi’s tendency to bring back contraband or unsanctioned flora and/or fauna, including but by no means restricted to: flowers, plants, small shrubs and on one occasion…” his attention briefly settled back on the jedi  “some swamp slime.”</p><p>“Brother” Blaster said. “You know I love rules and regs as much as any member of the Bad Batch. But this karking di’kut of yours… no offense Obi Wan…nearly got himself killed by being all civilised and neighbourly…”</p><p>"Nobody got hurt, though” Cody said.</p><p>“No. Well, the plant. It got mulched.”</p><p>He wanted to hear how the field training was going. He wanted to know why Cody was wearing that swoop outfit. He wanted to hear him talk more.</p><p>“It won’t happen again” Cody said, looking at him pointedly.</p><p>Blaster tilted his head. “Won’t it? What about the Geonosian brain worm you told me about?”</p><p>The jedi startled, surprised that Blaster knew about that.</p><p>“It was dead! Anakin squished it first!” he protested. In truth he’d spied something wriggling once they’d escaped the crumbling temple and (for science!) approached it cautiously, his fingers already in a pincer shape. He had originally asked Cody to take his bucket off, then rather foolishly if he could borrow it as a temporary container -but that has been shot down by a Hard Look. It was an unspoken given that clones were very attached, physically and psychologically, to their customised armour- it being a kind of extension of their identity. Obi Wan had never heard of a brother borrowing or lending armour out and supposed it was like lightsabers, somehow connected with intimacy.  In the end he’d weighed up the pros and cons and let Anakin kill another lifeform with his boot so at least he could take the corpse to the lab. However, he didn’t even get to pick it up because sadly, having embroiled Cody in the situation a moment before, he was absolutely forbidden from touching it and frogmarched to the nearest gunship. </p><p>Hearing an actual list of times he’d broken the rules made him feel ashamed, and he acknowledged internally that perhaps a degree of arrogance was in play from himself (and probably Anakin too) when it came to them playing fast and loose with sensible rules everyone else had to keep.</p><p>“I am sorry for the problems I seem to be causing” he said. “If it makes you feel any better during the next three days I will be a model jedi.” He glanced back at Cody, who stood unmoving, as he normally did. “And Captain” he added.</p><p>This earned him a genuine smile from Blaster, quickly quashed.</p><p>Obi Wan gave his attention to the holopad. “Commander, how is the swoop racing in Tibannopolis?”</p><p>Cody huffed and folded his arms in a very familiar gesture. “That was supposed to be top secret.”</p><p>“Rex is weak.”</p><p>“Uh, no he’s not” came the unexpected reply. Obi Wan frowned, clearly having misstepped somehow.</p><p>“My boys okay?” Blaster interjected. “Wrecker managing to blend in with the locals?”</p><p>“Oh yeah. He’s very popular with the mechs. Being able to lift a swoop bike without a jack’ll do that for you.”</p><p>“I heard there was an underground track but I didn’t know it was that popular” Obi Wan said. “I imagine, since the city is abandoned it’s quite dangerous.”</p><p>Cody nodded. “I believe that’s the attraction, sir.”</p><p>“Well, do be careful.”</p><p>He took in the straight lines of the Commander’s stance, the way he held his shoulder’s back, the discipline in his form. How anyone could mistake him for being illegal swoop crew and not a clone baffled him.</p><p>“You might want to work on your posture, Cody. It…uh…it’s very good for a scoundrel.”</p><p>The Commander barked a laugh. “Any tips?”</p><p>Obi Wan fidgeted in his seat and pressed his arms into his sleeves. He took a risk and let himself reach out.</p><p>“You could get General Grievous to kick you in the chest. That did wonders for my posture for a while.”</p><p>The Commander didn’t immediately reply. Obi Wan wondered if he’d made a mistake bringing up the shared memory of the fight in the hanger just before the destruction of the Negotiator. It was a period of time maybe Cody wanted to entirely forget. Beside him he noticed Blaster shift as if to speak.</p><p>“I recall doubling up on the painkillers temporarily did wonders for your abilities to stay awake as well, sir” Cody said easily.   </p><p>Obi Wan nodded. He felt light inside, pleasantly unbalanced.</p><p>Blaster did move then, leaning forward to reach for the holo. “Commander, we should wrap this up. Obi Wan?”</p><p>“Good to see you, Cody.”</p><p>“Sir.”</p><p>The figure disappeared. Obi Wan stared at the space where the hologram had been.</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>Blaster stood up and headed for the door. He took a final glance around the jedi’s room.</p><p>“Pretty fancy quarters for a Captain” he scoffed. </p><p>“I am of course happy to vacate the room and sleep where most befits my rank.”</p><p>“Yes, but if you move, some shiny’s gonna have to lug all your stuff to the other end of the ship, then someone else’s gonna have to clean your quarters after you’ve vacated them.”</p><p>“I’m perfectly capable of carrying my few belongings myself.”</p><p>“Ah but it’s not a matter of capable, it’s a matter of appropriate. It’s not the job of a Captain to be a Dewback.”</p><p>“Ah, I see.”</p><p> “And someone’s gotta rustle you up some new bedding for your new quarters because the barracks linen is different from the private quarters linen. You understand, it can’t get mixed up otherwise it causes a stang load of problems in housekeeping.”</p><p>The jedi nodded. “Well I wouldn’t want that.”</p><p>“And someone else is gonna have to reprogram all the codes and contacts so that the ship’s computer knows where you are now. Which of course they’ll have to recode when you come back from retreat as by then I’m sure you’ll earned a promotion or two back up to General. Plus, you know, stripping back all the bedding and…” Blaster gestured back into the room “moving all your jedi trinkets back…”</p><p>Trinkets?! At last count outside of his (few) clothes his entire collection amounted to some books, a handmade cup, his kist of personal items, and a small pebble that fit perfectly between his thumb and forefinger that he had been reliably informed would skim across an endless sea until all the stars went out in an endless sky.</p><p>“You seem to have an incredible grasp of housekeeping considering the short amount of time you’ve been on board” he snipped, but the Commander was already raising a finger, signing that Obi Wan wait. He then turned on his heel and disappeared down the passageway to his own room, returning a moment later with a small bowl and a snubby carton with a cartoon animal drawn on it. Obi Wan was gifted them both in what felt like a bookend of the incident with the plant earlier in the day.</p><p>“Plus, you know, it’s important the cat knows where to find you. In case she gets hungry.”</p><p>Obi Wan allowed himself a laugh. “The question is, are you referring to the milk or to my blood?”</p><p>The Commander grinned. “When you know, you’ll let me know, sir.”</p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
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  <em>In which someone arrives in the Hanger and their name is Plot</em>
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</p><p>Obi Wan decided to throw himself boots-first into his short period of captaincy before being dropped off on Ossus. It was a habit he had picked up from his former Master, who had during his padawanship sometimes literally thrown the youngster into situations (and swamps) in order to be ‘fully immersed’ in the lesson. Obi Wan thought back fondly to the time he and Qui Gonn had travelled with some Ptarmigan traders across the Wilds, posing as cooks. In order for the deceit to work a while before the mission he had spent several afternoons in the jedi temple dressed in an apron, learning how to competently slice vegetables and pluck fowl, whilst the other young jedi were out in the courtyard practicing their saber forms. He looked back slightly less fondly on the time Qui Gonn had left him in a backwater bordello for two months with strict instructions to ‘learn something useful’ whilst his master joined the local underground sabacc circuit. Sometimes Obi Wan completely understood why Qui Gonn had never been asked to join the Jedi Council. </p><p> </p><p>He had also quickly discovered that holding the rank of Captain meant there were a number of things he could no longer do. He could, for example, no longer run the hanger drills with the squad, since there was a Deck Commander who outranked him, and he did not want to step on the poor trooper’s toes. He also could not leave the ship without checking in with <em>his</em> superior officer.</p><p> </p><p>There were, however, also perks to being a Captain. Once word got out that he was making an honest stab at it the clones around him were to a fault generous in their support and advice, even though they were clearly bewildered and amused by the whole thing. Over some caf in the mess Rex recalled his promotion from Sergeant to Captain and what it felt like to occupy a middle position between the regs and the High Command. Obi Wan realised that he had never really considered how difficult it must be to hold those two worlds together, to be the one who enforces an unpopular order from the top or makes sure those higher ranks understand the fears and even complaints of the ordinary men fighting on the ground. He valued every single member of the 212<sup>th</sup> but he realised that soldiers like Rex were the ones doing the heavy lifting to keep them all together. He also got to sit in on the officers’ briefings and experience how the plans he and Cody usually formulated played out further down the ranks, which was both enlightening and humbling. He thought about the task Master Yoda had set him and decided that part of maybe finding his way back to his 2<sup>nd</sup> was to spend time with Cody’s men. By integrating himself more with the 212<sup>th</sup> perhaps he would be able to renew those conduits that he had lost. One such bonding experience was throwing himself into the ship-wide rumours about Commander Blaster. </p><p> </p><p>*</p><p>He, Anakin and Ahsoka reached the mess hall and joined the line for some food. Obi Wan watched in the usual horror as Anakin precariously loaded up his plate and pocketed two bread rolls in his tunic. Ahsoka was even worse, eating stuff off her plate before they’d even sat down. She was picking up a lot of bad habits from her master.</p><p>“You do know they’re called <em>rations</em> for a reason, Anakin” he tried.</p><p>Anakin had always eaten like this and had been known to bring out the whole ‘grew up a slave’ card whenever his master tried to reign in his more uncouth qualities. What Kenobi really couldn’t understand though was why Anakin would want to eat vast amounts of the GAR food- it was bearable and nutritious, but Coruscanti fish chilli from Dexter’s with sautéed greens and mango drizzle it was not. They found a table squashed between what looked like recently rotated off hanger crew and sat down. He listlessly moved some of the yellow stew-like substance around in his bowl for a moment and wished the war was over.</p><p>“So. Where is Cody again?” Ahsoka asked.</p><p>“With the 99- it’s classified” he said, carefully avoiding a lie.</p><p>“I’m sure he’s alright, Obi Wan” Anakin said, with his mouth full.</p><p>He raised an eyebrow. “Of course.”</p><p>“Cody can look after himself.”</p><p>“I’m not worried about the Commander, Anakin. I am a little concerned that Commander Blaster is making some changes to his ship that Cody may not like when he gets back.”</p><p>Anakin reached over for Kenobi’s bowl, used to watching his former master’s food go to waste. “Oh, I very much doubt Cody’d mind. They go way back.”</p><p>“They do?”</p><p>“Way back.”</p><p>“I didn’t think they had an official Commander. I thought they just got along being…unsupervised.” He wasn’t at all surprised that the Kaminoans had been tinkering with the gene sequencing, since that’s what cloners do, but it didn’t sit well with him. That Cody had somehow extracted these ‘defective’ soldiers before ‘decommission’ claimed them, and basically saved their lives was apparent in their utter devotion to him and cool animosity to anyone else.  He had spent one successful but stiff mission with Clone Troop 99 and had little wish to repeat the experience. Upon initially meeting them he found them to be variously terse, petulant and unruly. During the mission he amended his assessment to include brutally competent and impressive. Afterwards, when they left without even saying goodbye, having clearly and unsubtly raided his ship for supplies, he’d overheard them with Cody offering to ‘deal with your shab’uir jetii’ and revised his opinion once more. Obi Wan had got warmer receptions from wampas.</p><p> </p><p>Anakin rolled his eyes. “I mean, of course they have a Commander. They are part of GAR. Blaster’s just…he doesn’t play nice with all the other Commanders.”</p><p>“Except Cody.”</p><p>“Oh yeah, he plays real nice with him.”</p><p>Ahsoka made a satisfied noise that made Anakin instantly regret his tease. Oh well. In for a credit, in for a haul.</p><p>“Covert missions, deep cover infiltrations, some pretty hairy extractions if some of the stories I’ve heard are true.”</p><p>“If Commander Blaster is part of the 99 does that mean he has….” Ahsoka wasn’t quite sure how to word her enquiry, but Anakin knew what she was asking.</p><p>“Special abilities?”</p><p>“He does seem...I don’t know how to describe it” Ahsoka said. “I guess he's got really good shields.”</p><p>He knew what she meant. When he’d done it, it was like he’d encountered a small void, or like a hand was gently nudging him away. He’d put it down to being overworked, and the Commander being new to him, and (if he was honest) a worry that maybe accidentally severing his connection to Cody was beginning to stretch to others as well.</p><p>Anakin leaned forward a little, forcing his master to do the same. He lowered his voice. “He’s been specially designed to annoy General Obi Wan Kenobi.”</p><p>Ahsoka snorted in agreement and then tried to stifle her amusement. “I’m sorry, master, but you couldn’t see your face when he was suggesting that you were gonna be sick in your ‘little fighter.’ It was all pinched up and when he misunderstood what the Force was for…”</p><p>“Oh, I don’t think he misunderstood” Obi Wan groused.</p><p>“You were kind of really aggressively stroking your moustache like this” she furrowed her brow and ran her fingers over her top lip.</p><p>“Speaking of beards,” Anakin teased “I think you don’t like the fact that <em>his</em> beard is, well…”</p><p>“I just want to scritch it” Ahsoka finished.</p><p>Anakin winced, then shrugged. Obi Wan frowned.</p><p>“That plate on his face though? What’s the story behind that?” she asked. “I bet it’s good, whatever it is.”</p><p>Rex suddenly appeared and hauled himself into a seat next to them.</p><p>“It is. Generals, Commander, hello.” Obi Wan was secretly pleased that Rex had chosen to completely ignore his demotion.</p><p>“Got some new intel, Rex?” Anakin asked.</p><p>“Rex, don’t hold out on us. We want to know! Is that where his secret powers are?”</p><p>Obi Wan sighed. “Ahsoka, we already clarified that the 99 don’t have ‘powers’ they have abilities. They aren’t jedi, after all.”</p><p>“Aren’t our powers abilities?” she asked. Skywalker chuckled.</p><p>“Welcome to my life, Obi Wan” he said.</p><p>“Very well, Captain. Do tell. Am I right in assuming it’s some kind of cyber implant?”</p><p>“You are not, sir. I have heard a story about it- can’t vouch for its authenticity obviously but it fits with the rumours about the rest of him."</p><p>Obi Wan watched as Ahsoka sunk onto her hands, her eyes wide with anticipation. This is why that selkie author had a healthy bank account.</p><p>“So, apparently he was kark-deep…sorry General…”</p><p>Obi Wan raised a hand in dismissal. “If a little colour is necessary to paint a picture, Captain Rex, please don’t hold back.”</p><p>“Yes sir. Rumour is he was in a Corellian stand-off with a couple of bounty hunters and some very irate Montaignians. He was one of the bounty hunters, you understand, working undercover. Or…well he might have actually just been a bounty hunter at that point- that part of the story’s a bit murky.”</p><p>Obi Wan raised an eyebrow and folded his arms.</p><p>“Anyway…”</p><p>Unfortunately, just at that moment his comm went off. It was the man in question.</p><p>“Commander Blaster, what can I do for you?”</p><p>“You can hi-tail it to the bridge and decide whether I should fire on this ship that’s just appeared out of nowhere” came the answer. “If you’re done poking at your food, of course.”</p><p>“Is it someone friendly?”</p><p>There was a long pause. Obi Wan both wondered and dreaded what prompted it.</p><p>“Well that depends on your point of view.”</p><p>*</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Obi Wan abruptly ceased to mull over the problematic hunt for Quinlan Vos when the jedi turned up off the starboard bow of The Duck. Boil had diligently verified the GAR security codes being broadcast from the beat-up smuggler ship even though Obi Wan would know that voice anywhere. As he waited for the small craft to finish its landing cycle he noted that Blaster had his arms folded across his chest in the same way Commander Cody did whenever Vos was about to re-enter their lives. The jedi was mildly surprised that he could feel the Commander’s mood of defensive scepticism so clearly after such a short time knowing him, but impressed that those were exactly the right feelings to have where Quinlan was involved.</p><p>“Commander, I should warn you that General Vos…”</p><p>“Oh, you don’t need to explain <em>anything</em>, Obi Wan. I know all about this sleeveless strill.”</p><p>“Ah, good. His reputation precedes him. No need to suggest you stay on guard, then.”</p><p> </p><p>He let the clone’s amusing comparison settle in his mind while they waited. The Strill beasts of Mandalore were impressive hunters, just like his Kriffar colleague, whose tracking abilities and psychometry had proven invaluable on numerous of their past missions as padawan together. However, they were also regarded as extremely unattractive creatures- not something Quinlan Vos had ever needed to worry about. At least this time Vos descended the ramp like a normal person rather than doing an acrobatic flip. Clearly hiding out in the black for this long had taught him not to be such a show-off.  </p><p>“Kenobi, long time no see.”</p><p>“Quinlan.” He directed his attention over the jedi’s shoulder. “Nice ship. Should we be worried the previous owner might come looking for it?”</p><p>Vos shook his head. “Very unlikely given where I left him” he said. Nobody needed to translate the implications of that.</p><p>Vos shifted his attention to the Commander. “You’re new. Where’s Cody?”</p><p>“Commander Cody has been temporarily redeployed. This is Commander Blaster.”</p><p>Vos smirked. “Something you did, Kenobi?”</p><p>Obi Wan gritted his teeth and breathed through his nose. Before he could continue the introduction, Blaster spoke.</p><p>“Why are you here?” he asked bluntly.</p><p>Vos grinned. “Straight to the point and prefers open hostility to glaring his thoughts at me through a bucket. That’s a nice change.” He patted Blaster on the shoulder. “I like you.”</p><p> </p><p>It didn’t surprise Obi Wan in the least that en route to the main briefing room Quinlan suddenly veered off to the mess in search of something to eat without telling anyone. He sighed and followed the wayward jedi into the hall, already certain he was going to regret it. Half an hour later he had a good idea to what extent.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p>It was a commonly held opinion amongst the 212th that Anakin was the most audacious jedi serving in the GAR, demonstrable by the descriptors used to recount their missions. His and Cody’s undertakings were just that: ‘undertakings.’ Occasionally they might enjoy the upgrade to ‘actions’- which considering almost all of them were life-threatening seemed more accurate, if not an understatement. Anakin and Rex in contrast seemed to attract the word ‘antics’ like power cables attracted mynocks. It was understandable therefore why his former padawan held pole position in the mind of the vode as the jedi in whose company you were most likely to get a two-for-one on war souvenirs: a medal <em>and</em> a prescription for anxiety stims.</p><p> </p><p>Without taking anything away from the vode’s assessment, Obi Wan put this down to the fact that very few of them had worked with Quinlan Vos.</p><p> </p><p>At least with Anakin you knew he had good intentions, even if his methodology left a lot to be desired. Quinlan, however, was a spy who seemed to oscillate between the light and dark side, all the while justifying such ambiguities were necessary to fully achieve victory for the Republic. Anakin would rescue you if you needed rescuing. It would be a rescue composed of bravado and overkill but you were certain he would get the job done or die trying. Quinlan would let you get squeezed half to death by a dragon snake and then ask if you were finished messing around.  </p><p>Anakin might secretly get himself married, but Quinlan would secretly get himself made Count Dooku’s apprentice.</p><p>Anakin might think it was a good idea to impersonate a slaver in order to rescue a whole colony, but Quinlan would actually sell his own brother if he thought it would help him achieve his own private ends. Or the entire vode’s brother.</p><p>“Absolutely not” Obi Wan said firmly, folding his arms. “We are not going to Bespin to pick up Commander Cody so you can sell him to some kidnappers in order to infiltrate their organisation.”</p><p>“But it has to be someone of a high enough rank. I can’t just turn up with any old clone” he waved his gloved hand at Rex, who figured out a moment later he’d been insulted and then scowled “so I reckon only the Marshall Commander of Sky Corps will cut it. He has access to defence codes, to the location of secret bases…to all sorts of incredibly valuable intel.”</p><p>“And what do you suppose these kidnappers would do with someone like that?!” Obi Wan snapped.</p><p>Quinlan shrugged nonchalantly. “Sell him on to the Separatists. That’s what I’d do.” He reached down the table to pilfer a bread roll from an unsuspecting trooper’s plate and happily munched away whilst Obi Wan took the time to get his frustration under control.</p><p>“It’s beside the point anyway” Blaster said calmly. “Bespin is in the opposite direction so you’d never have time to pick him up and bring him there even if Obi Wan sanctioned this plan.”</p><p>“Which I am most definitely not doing. And before you start making googly eyes at <em>temporary </em>Commander of the 212<sup>th</sup> Blaster here, you should be made aware that he knows nothing of value and is merely a place holder.”</p><p>“Thanks a lot, Obi Wan” came the snarky reply. Obi Wan rested his hand unconsciously on the man’s shoulder and squeezed. “You know what I mean” he said softly.</p><p>Blaster held his gaze for a moment and Obi Wan told himself to stop touching him.</p><p>“It’s a kriffing missed opportunity is what it is” Quinlan said, around a mouthful of bread. “These folk are nasty and I’ve been on their trail for a while now, looking to cut off the head of the beast. It’s been an effective m.o in case you haven’t noticed, Kenobi. They kidnap targets who they know will cause damage to the Republic, and those poor souls have no choice about spilling what they know to their new owners.”</p><p>“Everyone always has a choice” Rex murmured.</p><p>Quinlan shook his head. “Easy to say that when you aren’t being pumped full of skirtopanol serum. That osik’s potent enough that even a mute would start to talk.”</p><p>“Fair enough” Rex replied.</p><p>“Is there no other way?” Obi Wan asked. “If all you need is a worthwhile hostage what about me?”</p><p>Quinlan huffed and sat back in his chair. Obi Wan arched his eyebrows in disbelief.</p><p>“I am Cody’s boss. I actually command Sky Corps! I do know a thing or two that might interest the Separatists.”</p><p>“I know what your day job is, Kenobi. It’s just…well, for better or worse, to give them credit, these sleemos have a strict ‘no jedi entanglements’ policy. I mean, only an idiot would kidnap a jedi master.”</p><p>Obi Wan flashed back to the time Hondo had tried to ransom Count Dooku, Anakin <em>and</em> himself and how abysmally that had gone for the pirate. He had to concede it was a sensible rule to have. There was method in their madness.</p><p>“Nah, it had to be Commander Cody, but since he isn’t here for some reason…” Quinlan pinned Obi Wan with an enquiring look that resurrected his earlier probing “I think we just have to write the mission off.” He made a fist and tapped it on the table in frustration. “It’s a damn shame because I had it on good authority this particularly loathsome piece of work called Meece-Ragg had recently abducted Polo Se’Lab and he was going to be at the auction too.”</p><p>“The Senator from Bothawui has been kidnapped?!”</p><p>Quinlan nodded. “The Senate are trying to keep it quiet so as to not cause panic. But equally they won’t send in a strike force unless they have a confirmed i.d.”</p><p>Obi Wan could see the value in the Bothan. In public the senator had been very vocal about keeping Bothawui neutral during the Clone Wars, even though they remained allied with the Republic. If the planet were compelled through its senator to defect to the Separatists then not only would they lose another world, it would be a culture renowned as home to some of the galaxy’s best spies. It would be a significant military boost to the enemy.</p><p>“You’re certain he’ll be there?”</p><p>“Pretty certain, yeah. I just need to get my foot in the door.”</p><p>Obi Wan scrubbed his face. “There must be a way round this.” He activated his comm and patched through to the bridge. “Lieutenant Boil?”</p><p>“Yes Gen…Captain?” He caught Quinlan’s bemused curiosity but shook it off.</p><p>“If you wouldn’t mind calculating how long it will take us to reach…” he looked at the other jedi, who mouthed the name of the planet “…Boonta, it would be appreciated. Thank you.”</p><p>“As you wish sir.”</p><p>“Boonta?”</p><p>“Where better to hide than in a crowd?” Quinlan explained.</p><p>“There’ll be a hell of a lot of space traffic due to the racing” Rex pointed out. “Unwise to take The Duck in to the atmo.”</p><p>A moment later Boil had his answer. “Just under three days, sir. Do you want me to lay in a course?”</p><p>Obi Wan glanced around the table. Rex shrugged, Blaster rolled his eyes and Quinlan kept eating the bread roll. It would mean postponing his retreat to Ossus and Blaster would not be able to rejoin the 99 as soon as he'd planned, but Quinlan was right: it was an opportunity they couldn't ignore.</p><p>“I suppose we can come up with a plan en route?” Obi Wan said, making the decision. “If you wouldn’t mind, Boil. Thank you.”</p><p>Three days. Obi Wan tried not to think of what commotion his oldest, most troublesome friend, could stir up in that amount of time.</p><p>*</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <em>In which Obi Wan Kenobi comes up with the 212<sup>th</sup> worst plan of the war so far</em>
</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> Obi Wan called everyone to the main briefing room to discuss the feasibility of his idea but he could tell that Quinlan didn’t like it by the way the Kiffar slumped in his chair and distractingly rolled his lightsaber back and forth on the table- which was a concern since he was a key player. Anakin and Ahsoka were benched because they couldn’t risk all four of them to a gang aggressively hostile to jedi, and Blaster was going to have to stay with The Duck, which had begun to spring occasional leaks and shut down random systems. That meant it was going to be a three-person squad for the mission: himself disguised as Quin’s partner and Rex, doing his best to impersonate the Commander.</p><p>(It was astounding only one person had ended up visiting Hopeful the morning the grav had turned itself off in the kitchens and all the kitchen cutlery had flung itself to the ceiling. The only good thing about the malfunctions was that when Cody eventually got back Obi Wan was going to have the rare opportunity of criticising his work.)</p><p> </p><p>“I am only considering this because I think the risk might, <em>might</em> be worth the outcome of rescuing the senator and putting this kidnapping ring out of business.” Obi Wan stated.  “And because I trust Captain Rex’s ability to keep calm under pressure and look after himself. Rex?” Obi Wan turned to the Captain and laid a hand on his pauldron. “I was immensely grateful that you were there with me on Kadavo. If anyone can pull this off it’s you.”</p><p>“Thanks, General.”</p><p>“It is imperative that everyone here understands that <em>if </em>Cody were here this mission would <em>not</em> be happening. There is categorically no way the Council would sanction risking the Marshall Commander of Sky Corps falling into the enemy’s hands. General Vos is correct in his assessment that he would be the perfect bait, and that is why had circumstances been different, and he’d been present we wouldn’t even be considering this. It would be a catastrophic tactical loss for the Republic, as well as an unbearable one for the 212<sup>th</sup> personally.” He got a quick nod of empathy from Rex and barrelled over his own feelings about the matter, because he knew if he asked himself to pick the total number of senators he was willing to trade for this one clone Commander’s life he wouldn’t be able to count high enough. Which probably said something about his changed priorities since the start of the war and the fact someone should discharge him immediately.</p><p>“Obviously, Captain, your safety is also tantamount, so we need to take every precaution this goes well, and of course the decision ultimately lies with you about whether we go ahead.”</p><p>“Have you spoken to the Council about it?” Anakin asked.</p><p>Obi Wan pursed his lips and looked across at Vos. “I deemed it wise under the circumstances and short window of time to delay filling them in.”</p><p>“He’d have to explain me” the Kiffar said nonchalantly “And I am difficult to explain.”</p><p>“Are you confident in your abilities to impersonate the Commander, in case these people have a sense of him from recordings?”</p><p>Rex raised a gloved hand and counted off on his fingers: “Don’t swear, talk about boring procedures and protocol a lot, glare at anyone I don’t trust…yeah I got this, General.”</p><p>Beside him Obi Wan heard Blaster let out a huff. “Pretty disrespectful towards your superior officer, trooper. When he can’t defend himself.” Obi Wan paused from pressing on because this was an unexpected development: he hadn’t witnessed Blaster reprimanding anyone in the week he’d been on board. Not that the vode really needed disciplining as for some pride-inducing reason Blaster’s slack approach to everything hadn’t caught on.  He’d not yet been able to get a handle on the relationship between Blaster and Rex, though he occasionally caught them coming out of rooms together, whispering like spies (ironically.) He did however know Rex had been deployed with the 99 because he had swapped notes with the Captain. Rex got on with the special ops squad like a house on fire, much to the jedi’s bewilderment.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>(“They really don’t like you, General, sorry.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“But why, Rex? Why?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Uhm, I think you’d have to ask Cody.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I did. He won’t tell me.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yeah, that figures.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Should I ask him again?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“…”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Is it my hair? I know some clones think it’s an unsettling colour.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“It’s not…it’s not that, sir.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Rex?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I have to go now.”)</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Rex deferred to the Commander and lowered his hand. “He knows he’s my burc’ya, sir” he said sincerely.</p><p>“What do you think your burc’ya would think of this plan?” Blaster asked.</p><p>“Depends.”</p><p>“Depends on what?”</p><p>Rex tilted his head and gave the Commander what seemed like a pointed look. “On what kind of Commander he felt like being that day.”</p><p>That made no sense to Obi Wan at all, so he let the comment go. Cody and Rex were the closest of friends and he assumed they, much like Quin and himself, had their ways of supporting and needling each other just like the two jedi did, although he liked to imagine the clones’ friendship was perhaps a bit healthier. Certainly, whenever the 501<sup>st</sup> and 212<sup>th</sup> had liberty at the same time, Cody and Rex would inevitably disappear off together to the bars of Coruscant Lower or scoot off-world to catch a bolo-ball tournament. Obi Wan recalled the time Rex had briefly dyed his hair blue in support of his team, Bylluran Athletic, then promptly dyed it back again after crossing paths with Master Ki Adi Mundi and his stern gaze during the deployment on Aargonar. Cody had confessed to a complete disinterest in bolo-ball, privately describing it as ‘prissy egotistical theatrics dressed up as sport.’ He settled on assuming Cody just liked being with his vod’ika and would tolerate almost anything in exchange for that small simple pleasure. He wished he could make that sacrifice and accept Anakin’s persistent offer of front row tickets to a podrace but he just found the whole thing tiring on his eyes and the omnipresent dirty fuel burn in the air made him sneeze.</p><p> </p><p>“I can pull it off” Rex assured the room. He touched his temple. “Plus, I already spoke to Kix about mocking up some scarring easy enough.”</p><p>“Unless you want something more permanent, Rex?” Anakin joked.</p><p>“I’d rather stay pretty, if that’s all right with you sir” Rex replied.</p><p>Quinlan spoke up. “Yes. Poor Cody and his unappealing face. What a burden it must be for some people to have look at it every day.” It was his first real contribution to the meeting, and you didn’t need to be a jedi to sense the lack of enthusiasm for the plan coming off him. Obi Wan gave into his frustration.</p><p>“Look Quin, I understand that it isn’t the plan you came here with originally, but it’s the best we can do. I’d appreciate it if you could contribute your valuable insights since you know this gang better than any of us here and I’m trying to salvage something workable from what we’ve got.”</p><p>Quinlan pushed his chair back and stubbornly folded his arms. “It’s just not going to work, Kenobi.”</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>“Well, there’s the i.d marker for a start.” He wasn’t wrong. Every clone had an identification code in their left wrist with their designation, rank and affiliations. If the kidnapping gang used a reader, they might be in trouble.</p><p>Anakin spoke up. “Uhm, so I had a quiet word with Gaffa about this and he reckons between him and Kix they could possibly fit Rex with a new one.”</p><p>“Possibly?” Quinlan said sceptically.</p><p>“Probably?”</p><p>Obi Wan turned to his former padawan. “Anakin, I would discourage you from sharing any further details about <em>how</em> the two of them know how to forge alternative i.d chips, since I do have to write a report at the end of all this.”</p><p>“I already forgot myself, Master” came the grinning reply. “You know how I am with long-winded explanations.”</p><p>“Yes, well, indeed.”</p><p>“This ‘probably.’ Did it come with odds attached?” Quin pressed, with the air of someone who already knew the answer.</p><p>Anakin glanced at Rex who sighed and answered for his General. “About 50/50” he confessed. “They’re very hard to fake. It might ping up Cody’s info, it might just malfunction. And Kix says it has to go in the right wrist so as not to interfere with my own tag. Which apparently is a mother-karker to remove.”</p><p>“So” Quin said bleakly “You have to get them to scan the wrong wrist for a chip that’s only half likely to work.”</p><p>“That’s about the size of it, sir” Rex said. He saw no point in disagreeing or buoying up their chances.</p><p>“And if they pull out the skirtopanol? Over time I’ve mostly built up a tolerance to the stuff- Master Tholme insists all the Shadows do-since being a spy who spills their secrets kind of defeats the purpose. But that’s me.”</p><p>“Why would they dose the prisoners?” Anakin asked.</p><p>Blaster replied for Quinlan. “They seem like very suspicious and paranoid operators. I think that taking two minutes to verify that they weren’t being set-up seems very much like something they would do. I know I karking would.”</p><p>Blaster hadn’t contributed much to the briefing up to this point either and Obi Wan assumed he was on the side of the naysayers due to a distinct disinterest in saving the lives of senators. He empathised with the Commander’s frustrated tone: he was supposed to be back with his squad by now. Since he would be remaining on board to look after The Duck whilst Quinlan, Obi Wan and Rex headed down to Boonta his opinion was strictly speaking irrelevant but Obi Wan wanted his input. It was an undercover field mission and the clone had prior experience, plus he had, if he admitted it to himself, warmed somewhat to the abrasive, unconventional Commander. Blaster’s next move just reinforced that.</p><p> </p><p>He watched as the officer strolled around the briefing table, poked Rex lightly in the neck with a finger pretending to be a syringe and then said, in an excellent impersonation of the Captain’s slightly gravelly voice: “Hello everyone. Truth is I’m actually CC7567 but you can call me Rex. I like leading from the front, incinerating tactical droids and before a major engagement whispering sweet nothings to my custom twin DC-17s to get them in the mood. Golly, I don’t know why I told you that.”</p><p>There was a long pause in which the two clones eyeballed each other and everyone waited to see whether Rex would confirm or deny the charge that he talked to his guns. Or maybe punch Blaster in the face.</p><p>“My burc’ya’s a blabbermouth” Rex eventually said.</p><p>“I don’t know what to say about the truth serum” Obi Wan confessed. “I fear the best we can do is hope Captain Rex’s impression of Cody, plus the counterfeit marker, is enough to dissuade the gang from needing to use it. Regardless, the plan only needs to get us to the rendezvous with the buyers. Then General Vos and I will deal with them.”</p><p>“And what if they jab you?” the Kiffar said.</p><p>Obi Wan shrugged. “It’s not a perfect plan.”</p><p>Quin huffed and threw a look of disgruntlement at Obi Wan.</p><p>“Will you at least consider it, Quin?”</p><p>“What’s the point? You know as well as I do it’s a load of stang.” The Kiffar pulled himself to his feet and clipped his lightsaber back onto his belt. “Why is Commander Cody on Bespin?”</p><p>Obi Wan winced, knowing his answer was not going to go down well. “GAR training?”</p><p>“Great. Maybe after we’ve lost the war they’ll put the framed certificate on his gravestone.”</p><p>*</p><p>Obi Wan was not surprised to learn that Quinlan took his frustration out in the dojo. He was much like Anakin in that regard, using physical release to aid in re-centering himself, turning his mind off and focussing on the familiar forms and patterns that they’d known since they were younglings, transforming the dissatisfaction of one setback into preparedness for future engagements. He himself was more want to use meditation to release his emotions into the force, which was more suited to his preferred defensive lightsaber style of soresu anyway. If a jedi looked to soresu to hammer out their frustrations, they would most likely end up worse than they started. With its small measured movements, its reliance on patience, it required a calm mind to begin with- something Obi Wan had been trying to achieve for the last hour in his quarters, and something inevitably interrupted by their guest.</p><p>A tap on the door pulled him out of his meditation (number of lightsabers moved: zero) and proved to be Ahsoka of all people.</p><p>“Sorry to bother you, Master” she said, attempting to peep into his room. Obi Wan had the horrible suspicion Anakin had revealed one of his deepest darkest secrets: he was messy for a jedi. “But I thought you should know Master Vos is about to fight Commander Blaster.”</p><p>“What?!”</p><p>“Not in a bad way! Uhm, well, I mean I suppose it could be bad for one of them?”</p><p>Number of rogue jedis he regretted making friends with aged 7: 1.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p>Amongst the myriad subjects of scholarship covered in the jedi archives the nature of timing was just one of many topics Obi Wan had not ironically had time to do more than skim over. He had often been told in classes as a padawan that coincidences did not exist in The Force, that everything happened for a reason, that a jedi should always contemplate the juxtaposition of seemingly random events to reveal valuable truths. He was, however, finding it very hard not to wish Quinlan hadn’t arrived the same week as The Stramash.</p><p> </p><p>The Stramash was a clone tradition supposedly instigated by Jango Fett back on Kamino. As rigorous and skill based as the clone training exercises had been, he’d argued that there was some vital element missing from a programme that stressed discipline and form over risk-taking and the earning of honour. This made some sort of foolhardy sense: Fett was a Mandalorian after all and they were people who wore rocket fuel as an accessory.</p><p> </p><p>The rules of the Stramash were pretty simple: a trooper could challenge anyone of a higher rank to a bout for agreed upon stakes; thus a private could go up against a Sargent for example, but the latter could not initiate the challenge to the former. It was a way of earning respect, by beating someone higher up than you, and if you lost, at least you were mandokarla enough to try.</p><p> </p><p>The Stramash required a double dose of courage, however, since the superior officer would be the one deciding the contents of the match. There were a few with weapons or target-practice-based competitions but hand-to-hand combat was far and away the most popular choice. When he’d enquired after Wooley’s success at his first Stramash the clone beamed at him, a big open smile. At first Obi Wan misinterpreted this to mean the private had won his fight but it turned out Wooley was just showing Obi Wan the replacements he’d needed after Cody had knocked out his front teeth with one sharp punch. Wooley had earned an incredible amount of respect for being a shiny who’d challenged the highest ranking officer in the GAR, but as forfeit he’d also had to run personal errands for his Commander the next three times they were on Coruscant so that Cody could, of all things, go swimming with Master Fisto.</p><p>After Obi Wan had embarked on some mild enquiries about the activity, being delighted he had uncovered at least one interest the Commander had outside of work, he’d been proffered an invite. Then he’d had to admit that he didn’t actually like swimming. Or being wet in general. And that, yes, his first ever visit to Kamino was not a fond memory. Privately he often thought about whether he’d crossed paths with Cody, even briefly, during his visit, but it was an ambiguous moment in both their lives, a tipping-point or perhaps Master Windu would say a shatterpoint in the Force, where Obi Wan’s actions in following a lead to this secret planet had resulted in Cody risking his life running the 212<sup>th. </sup>Asking about that day felt like pulling at a thread which might unravel all sorts of unexpected things.  </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The dojo was, as expected, busy with lots of clones training or sparring. Or at least they would be if they weren’t all gathered in a loose clump around one corner of the room watching a jedi and a member of legendary Clone Troop 99 face off against each other.</p><p> </p><p>“Kenobi!” Quinlan called out as he and Ahsoka came through the double doors “Good timing.” Both men seemed relatively unscathed, so it appeared Obi Wan had arrived just in time to prevent the skirmish.</p><p>“Gentleman” he said, moving swiftly to draw them into as private a conversation as it was possible to have with a dozen troopers loitering nearby “is this really a good idea?”</p><p>Quinlan wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “I just learned that this evening there is a fighting tournament and I thought I would help the Commander prepare for all the challenges he is probably going to get issued.”</p><p>“Yes, well that’s very generous of you, Quin, but perhaps Commander Blaster was not planning on attending the Stramash.” He threw a hopeful get-out card to Blaster, who declined to pick it up.</p><p>“Also,” Obi Wan went on, sliding into the role of Negotiator and relying on it to defuse this situation “In just over a day you and I will be undercover on what is likely to be a very dangerous mission, and I’d rather you were in one piece for it rather than…”</p><p>Quinlan scoffed. “He’s a clone, Kenobi. I think I’ll be alright.”</p><p>Obi Wan suspected Quinlan had ensured everyone around them heard that last statement in order to curtail any exit strategies Obi Wan had hoped to employ. He was aware that now everyone seemed to be fully attentive to the situation and indeed more people were drifting over to this part of the dojo.</p><p>“You’re insufferable” he hissed, out of earshot of the Commander “Please don’t damage him too permanently. He’s already hurt.”</p><p>He saw Quinlan glance at Blaster’s plate on his temple. “It’s just a bit of fun, Kenobi. But don’t worry, I’ll be careful with your Commander.”</p><p>“He’s not…”</p><p>Quinlan tugged him in by the fabric of his tunic, whispered in his ear “I just want to get to know him a bit better” then nudged him away. Obi Wan sighed and went to join the spectators.</p><p> </p><p>The thing was, this was probably inevitable really. In the short amount of time Quinlan had been on board he had dismissed Obi Wan’s plan, got drunk with the demolition crew (or got the demolition crew drunk was more likely- Obi Wan suspected that Socorroean Rum had belonged to the stolen ship’s former owner) and started a brawl in the barracks by ‘offering’ his psychometry skills to some clones who had a dispute amongst themselves about some missing credits. The latter activity had landed the two shinies <em>and</em> the jedi in the brig for the night, so, on the plus side Commander Blaster didn’t have to worry about additional laundry for housekeeping. He did however possibly have to worry about some retribution coming his way in the next couple of minutes.</p><p>“It’s exciting, isn’t it, Master” Ahsoka said, flopping down next to him. “Nobody really knows anything about the Commander so it could go either way.”</p><p>Waxer had taken it upon himself to referee the bout and he laid down some ground rules about Force usage whilst everyone else in the dojo gave up the pretence of training and joined the throng. Obi Wan conceded that Ahsoka had a point: Quinlan was masterly with a lightsaber, preferring the attack-based Ataru style but also having been known to reach for Vaapad- a form too dark for almost all other jedi to even consider. However, this wasn’t a lightsaber bout, it was hand-to-hand. The Kiffar was naturally athletic and strong but the clones were engineered to be all muscle and then trained from birth to fight. Plus he still hadn’t heard the end of the story slash rumour about Blaster’s 99 ‘abilities.’ That he was a Commander spoke to his intelligence and creative thinking abilities. Obi Wan hoped Quin remembered that too.</p><p> </p><p>Cody and he had sparred before, a little, but aside from Obi Wan realising very quickly just how deadly the clone was in hand-to-hand combat it never really took as an activity that worked for them. Perhaps it was because the harmony they had very early on found in their approach to work excluded a sense of competition between them. They did have their disagreements of course, but they either resolved them through patient negotiation and compromise, or else (he suspected) Cody just let things go, took the higher ground and if fallout did occur he did something with his mouth that landed so exactly between fondness and disappointment that Obi Wan found himself liking the gesture too much to stop himself making bad plans.</p><p>There was clearly something wrong with him.</p><p> </p><p>Blaster removed his grey jacket and Quinlan his robe, vambraces and short pauldron. He tossed Ahsoka his lightsaber and grinned. Ahsoka was clearly thrilled to be entrusted with it and turned it over and over in her hands, examining the handle.</p><p>“Master…?”</p><p>“It’s green, before you ask.”</p><p>“Ah. It looks a bit like yours.”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“It feels…I don’t know how to describe it…” She frowned. “Complicated?”</p><p>Obi Wan took it from her hands and placed it on the floor in front of them. “It wasn’t always green. For a short while the blade was red, so….”</p><p>He felt the young padawan’s spike of surprise and unease and touched her arm to comfort her.</p><p>“His lightsaber looks a little like mine because I partly modelled my design on his. Because he is my friend and I trust him with my life.”</p><p>The flare of anxiety flickered out, so he removed his hand. “Although I must confess, I am not sure I trust him with the Commander’s. Quin doesn’t have the greatest bonhomie with clones.”</p><p>Waxer called them to start positions and the dojo fell silent. Quinlan dropped to a crouch. Blaster shifted one foot back but not far enough, Obi Wan estimated, to be able to absorb what he suspected was going to be a hard first attack. Waxer let them off the leash and he was sadly proven correct as Quinlan barrelled into the clone’s shoulder, causing him to spin away and take a few stumbling steps backward towards one of the padded climbing pillars.</p><p>“Ooft” Ahsoka said. “Look how he’s dropping his shoulder already. That’s really hurt him.”</p><p>“You alright there, Commander?” Quin called out. Blaster rubbed his shoulder, raised his arm, and winced as the elevation proved too painful. “I’ve been asked to stay away from your face but I’m assuming everything else is fair game.”</p><p>“Still got three working limbs” the Commander replied. “So have at it, jetii.”</p><p>They circled each other for the next few moments, probing for openings with the occasion movement forward or scurry back. At one-point Quinlan drifted a little too close, having underestimated the clone’s reach, and took a sharp kick to his thigh, which sent him back to a safer distance. Then he switched tactics and suddenly dashed at his opponent, bounding off the balls of his feet to give his descending punch some extra weight. However, Blaster anticipated the move, swayed at the last moment, clamped his fingers in the jedi’s tunic and used his forward momentum to propel him into the padded climbing pillar he’d lured them towards earlier. Quinlan thudded into it and staggered back, a little dazed. Obi Wan had to admit the injured clone fought with the confident knowledge of his surroundings- a technique it took padawans years to master.</p><p>Blaster quickly approached him from behind and got a swinging elbow in the temple for his trouble, but then dropped and scythed out a leg which cut Quinlan down to his knees. Quinlan rolled away and sprang back up, launching a kick of his own at Blaster’s hip. The clone instead caught the foot, hoisted it up and twisted, toppling the jedi into a handspring retreat. Around him Obi Wan could here whoops of support and excitement as the vode realised that they were watching a fight in which it seemed nobody was pulling their punches and either participant could win.</p><p>His heart suddenly clenched in panic as he saw Quinlan’s hand instinctively reach out for his lightsaber, but it only twitched slightly as the jedi got himself under control and remembered where he was.</p><p>“Lesson learned, Commander” the Kiffar called out. “Keep away from your legs. So that’s three limbs down, one to go. And since you are a clone that means you are right-handed like all your brothers…”</p><p>“Not all of us are right-handed!” someone in the crowd called out.</p><p>“Like almost all of your brothers, so you’ve only got your weaker limb, too.”</p><p>Blaster curled and uncurled the fingers of his left hand then turned them into a goading summons. “Come along then. Nothing fancy.”</p><p>As he heard those words and witnessed Quinlan pressing the advantage Obi Wan began to sense, like an out of body experience, that his friend was making a mistake, that he was underestimating the Commander and was going to pay for it in the next few moments. He couldn’t explain how he knew this, whether it was some sort of Force precognition at work, but he felt the calm assurance of knowing he was right.</p><p>Quinlan landed some body blows and got the Commander in a headlock but it was too loose, and the clone found his opponent’s trailing arm and used it to pivot and yank the jedi over his back. Quinlan kept his feet, his athletic prowess saving him from the deck, and swung a punch at the Commander’s head. It made contact with enough force to turn the clone, who retaliated with a backhanded haymaker of his own. Quin got his arms up to defend against a kick and grabbed onto Blaster’s good left shoulder. He hauled the officer forward, kneed him in the ribs and grinned as Blaster seemed to stumble into him, twisting and dropping his damaged right shoulder so it was protected behind him. </p><p>Then Quinlan, bolstered by jedi arrogance and ignorance, made the fatal mistake of letting go. The fist attached to Blaster’s right arm, apparently not injured but fully functioning, suddenly smashed into the jedi’s face with all the force of a sledgehammer. It was brutal enough that Obi Wan heard as much as saw Quinlan’s nose break. He staggered back, hands reaching protectively and Waxer dashed between the combatants, waving his arms wildly to indicate the match was finished. The room erupted in cheers. A moment later Quin dropped his hands. His face was a bloody mess and he was blinking sweat out of his eyes but he was also grinning foolishly.</p><p>“By all the moons, that was a sneaky move, Commander Blaster, letting me think your arm was out of commission. Full credit to you, I deserved that licking. I owe you a drink.”</p><p>Obi Wan sprang up and moved swiftly to join them. “No drinking, I’m sure thanks is enough!” he said, hands raised in a plea. He fussed over Quin’s wounded face until Hopeful turned up out of nowhere and took over the fussing in a more useful way.</p><p>“Thanks for the match, Commander” Quinlan called out to Blaster.</p><p>Blaster nodded and retrieved his jacket from the floor.</p><p>“You’re supposed to reply with “Anytime, General!”</p><p>Blaster did not reply with that. In fact, he caught Obi Wan’s eye and shook his head, as if Quinlan were somehow Obi Wan’s fault. But tacked on was a soft blink-and-you-miss-it smile, quickly erased.</p><p>“Still doesn’t like me” Quin said lightly.</p><p>“I’m not sure I like you at the moment” Obi Wan replied. “Did you find that enlightening?”</p><p>Quinlan smiled. “Oh Kenobi, you have no idea.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <em>In which lots of things hurt </em>
</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>The Duck’s first Stramash took place in the new dojo and as expected turnout was high. Many of the men had traded in favours to swap shifts so they could attend, either as spectators or participants, and more favours were lost in the bouts as troopers issued challenges, fought and collected their winnings. Favours were hard currency amongst the vode and Obi Wan was very glad the jedi order had no such equivalent, as being at the beck and call of someone like Master Fisto for example would have proven perilous-and almost certainly involve the unpleasantness that was swimming. At the last minute before proceedings had kicked off Anakin and Ahsoka had turned up and squeezed their way onto the bench next to him, shuffling everyone along.</p><p>“I thought you two were busy with mission reports?” he tried.</p><p>“Oh, come on master!” Ahsoka said. “It’s my first Stramash. And I’ve got 10 credits on Rex.”</p><p>“Rex isn’t even… how do you know Rex is even going to fight?”</p><p>“Oh, someone’s gonna challenge him. The 212<sup>th</sup> is not completely free of idiots, no offence Master.”</p><p>“What about you, Obi Wan?” Anakin said suggestively. “You gonna put you name in the ring?”</p><p>Obi Wan frowned. “Of course not.”</p><p>“But don’t you see? You’re a Captain. It’s a completely unprecedented opportunity. Normally us jedi can’t challenge anyone because we’re Generals…”</p><p>“I’m not a General” Ahsoka piped up. “I…”</p><p>Anakin raised a finger to put a stop to the idea. Obi Wan had to agree, but he made an effort to at least provide an explanation that wasn’t going to hurt her feelings.</p><p>“It’s not that we don’t believe you could win, Ahsoka. Nobody doubts your combat prowess.”</p><p>She beamed at that.</p><p>“However, from what I know of the vode, I suspect that they might feel uncomfortable fighting you. Because, well…”</p><p>Rex finished off the thought for him. “Because you’re our mascot of sorts, Commander. They all want to protect you, not fight you.”</p><p>“I’ll take that” Ahsoka said. “What I heard was ‘I’d win and it’d embarrass you, Rex, that the 501<sup>st</sup> did so poorly.’”</p><p>“If that’s what you heard that must be what I said, Commander” he said. They bumped vambraces and that was that.</p><p>Obi Wan was a little dismayed to witness three idiots from his 212<sup>th</sup> challenge and quickly lose to Captain Rex but it put a proud smile on Anakin’s face and that was no bad thing. After much cajoling Obi Wan had finally compromised and at the end challenged Quinlan and his broken nose to a lightsaber duel, mainly so that the vode could splurge on the betting pool one last time. They hammed the whole thing up, with Obi Wan impersonating Count Dooku (their accents being close enough anyway) and Vos rather scandalously doing a terrible imitation of Master Yoda, complete with speech patterns and gnomic wisdom that made no sense at all. Obi Wan added it to the long long list of Things To Keep Private From The Council and once again enquired to The Force why anyone had left him in charge of anything.</p><p>He had been flattered to learn after the fact that almost all of the 212<sup>th</sup> had bet on him to win, with one of the few dissenters being Commander Blaster of all people. And in fact near the conclusion of the duel, when it looked as if Obi Wan was moving in for the killer blow, Blaster had the audacity to lob a helmet at him from the front row in order to distract him. He dropped character and just about managed to bat it away with his lightsaber, only to be horrified when he recognised it as Cody’s. His indecision about whether to focus on the shock that was Cody lending another clone his armour (unheard of) or the imminent silent dressing-down he would get when his Commander got back from Bespin and found new scorch marks nearly cost him the match. Eventually though Quinlan’s need to show off proved his downfall and Obi Wan had taken the crown, earned everyone but Blaster some windfall or other and left his men in good spirits that would inevitably lead to late night carolling and hangovers in the morning. Really, if he were a Separatist this would have been an excellent time to attack.</p><p> </p><p>For his part Quinlan stopped by Obi Wan’s quarters later with congratulations and a bottle of Corellian whisky he’d acquired from somewhere that Obi Wan hoped wasn’t Rex as that would make it his bottle of whisky. Without bothering to even take off his boots he clambered onto the bed and shuffled back so his back was against the wall, waving a hand for glasses and Obi Wan to join him.</p><p>“Why are you here, Quin?” he asked.</p><p>“So you can talk about your problem and I can offer help.”</p><p>Obi Wan pursed his lips, hesitance and reluctance holding him still. He wondered if sharing his situation had been a mistake. “It’s fine.”</p><p>“It’s not fine. You’ve gone and severed your Force connection to someone and it’s throwing you off your game. I know you, Kenobi. You’re usually much more focussed than this but currently your Force signature is tailspinning like something or someone sliced your stabilisers clean off. Come. Sit. Drink. Talk. Tell me about your Commander. I’m not leaving until you do.”</p><p>Obi Wan tried to rustle up a disapproving scowl. “I could order you to.”</p><p>“No you couldn’t. You’re a Captain.”</p><p>Obi Wan settled on the bed. “Why am I friends with you?”</p><p>“I don’t know” Quin replied. “It does seem like one your bigger mistakes.”</p><p>“Indeed.”</p><p>“So. Do you want to talk about it?”</p><p>“Not really. No.”</p><p>“Well I’d like to talk about it” the other jedi said. “It’s exactly the kind of topic I feel like really getting into. You know what I mean. It features some of my favourite characters and promises that heady mix of both thrilling surprise and predictable Kenobi calamity along the way.”</p><p>Obi Wan sighed, unamused. “Quinlan, please.” He gazed listlessly at the Kiffar’s scuffed black boots. Vos would’ve made a terrible clone soldier.  </p><p>“Tell you what. I’ll swap you for a rumour about Blaster’s facial augmentations in exchange.”</p><p>Obi Wan relented. “I heard he was a bounty hunter in a spot of bother with some Montaignians. That’s as far as I got. I’m all ears, apparently, for the conclusion.”</p><p>“Well, whatever deal they originally had went to Stalbringion Hell, and then the shooting began. Except they were indoors weren’t they, in a wrecked up, upside down bulk freighter repurposed as a sort of exchange drop for various scum over the years, so there was kriff-all cover and no way out. The bounty hunters get picked off and the Commander’s cornered and it doesn’t look good. So, what does the guy do? He stops shooting.”</p><p>Obi Wan tilted his head. “Why do I get the feeling you’re not going to say he surrendered?”</p><p>“Wait for it. He ducks down behind the only bit of cover that hasn’t been blasted to stang, and retrieves from the corpse of one of the bounty hunters a detonator from, you know, one of those bandoleers some of them wear?”</p><p>“So ill-thought out” Obi Wan muttered. “Don’t they realise it’s essentially an explosive sash.”</p><p>“Then in the next, oh I’d say 30 seconds he’s cracked open both it and his blaster, dumped enough Baradium in the tibanna chamber to blow the Scales of a Zillo beast, sealed the whole thing back up with some thermal tape he just happens to keep in his top pocket… and then he offers his surrender.”</p><p>“Basically he built a bomb.” Obi Wan stroked his beard, impressed. “Ah, clever. You see the Montaignians have a cultural tradition whereby a defeated foe is honoured with the opportunity to ritually surrender their weapon to the victor. The more impressive the weapon the higher the chances are of leeway. If the vanquished agrees to perform, what in that culture is seen as a deeply shameful gesture, the victor in turn is then bound to either demote the sentence to something slightly less brutal or, if it is a situation that requires more finality, take their lives in as quick and dignified way as possible. A knife across the throat is usually preferred and most practitioners I’ve met carry one for just this purpose.”</p><p>“Yeah, alright professor. Remember who you’re talking to. Some of my best friends happen to be Montaignians.”</p><p>Obi Wan scoffed. “I take it the gun exploded and killed everyone except the Commander?”</p><p>“That’s right. Since he knew it was coming he managed to turn most of his body away, and the borrowed Beskar he was wearing protected most of him but he still ended up with half the handle of the gun embedded in his face.”</p><p>“He’s got gun shrapnel welded to his face? No wonder he needs that perma-bacta. I imagine it hurts all the time.” Obi Wan frowned. “No that can’t be right. The metal would’ve disintegrated in the explosion.”</p><p>Quinlan nodded. “It would. Had his blaster not been a WESTAR 34.”</p><p>Obi Wan let out a laugh. “Well now I know this can’t be true. Those blasters are incredibly rare and incredibly expensive. Well beyond the means of even Commander Blaster of Clone Troop 99. Quite a tale someone’s been spinning, but a tale nonetheless.”</p><p>“Yeah, definitely made up but a great rumour and your men have lapped it up. Cody may face a mutiny on his hands when they have to swap back.”</p><p>“Why hasn’t he had a medic take it out?”</p><p>Quin shrugged. “Dunno. Maybe if it comes out it’s likely so will some of his brains.”</p><p>“Whereas ironically” Obi Wan quipped “Dallorian alloy is pretty impervious to anything. Technically I could now shoot him in the head and he’d be absolutely fine.”</p><p>Quinlan threw him a pointed look and took a gulp of the whisky, ignoring the glasses Obi Wan had provided. He breathed out the fumes and winced but it was an appreciative wince.</p><p>“Do you at least know when you broke the bond?” he prompted.</p><p>Obi Wan scrubbed his face and tried to rub some relief into his aching neck. He wasn’t certain why it was aching but suspected stress.  </p><p>“The Temple Bombing.”</p><p>He felt Vos gape at him. “But that was months ago?!”</p><p>Obi Wan nodded. Vos let out a low whistle.</p><p>“Wait, the Commander was there?”</p><p>“He was… he had liberty and I had an appointment with a jedi healer to assist in moving on from Duchess Satine’s death.”</p><p>The face of Quinlan’s former master and now colleague in the spy network, Master Tholme, appeared briefly in Quinlan’s mind. With it came sensations of admiration, safety and gratitude. If Tholme hadn’t been such an adept healer Quinlan knew that the eviscerating grief he had experienced when he had been forced to relive the murder of his parents as a boy would surely have broken him forever. The ongoing counselling Tholme provided as balm saved his life. He squeezed Obi Wan’s forearm. “We’ll get Maul. You know that, right?”</p><p>Obi Wan managed a joke. “Well let’s just add him to the list and see how it goes.”</p><p>Quinlan waved a hand, indicating he continue.</p><p>“I was in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, working with Master Merwin, do you know him?” Quin shook his head. “He comes highly recommended from Master Che.”</p><p>That name was clearly familiar to the other jedi because he grinned. “Remember when Master Che tranquilised us both because we kept sneaking out of the Halls of Healing before we were properly discharged?”</p><p>Obi Wan allowed himself a small smile. “Well, she has reset my leg twice now so I’m afraid if you’re about to badmouth the Chief Healer I will have to stop you.</p><p>There’s not much to it, really, just…I suppose we’d been there for most of the morning. Master Merwin and I were deep in a guided meditation that encouraged the participant to visualise letting go of the deceased, by choosing an image or a fabricated scenario built on truths that acts as a symbolic action. Duchess Satine and I…”</p><p>He raised his knees and folded himself up, wrapping his arms around himself. Quin smirked lightly and rested his own knee against him. “Yeah I already know all about that. And its almost disastrous aftereffects on your career as a jedi, remember.</p><p>Not that you aren’t great at telling stories, Kenobi, but you’re not great at telling stories. Can I summarise this as follows: you were there to sever your attachment to the Duchess but you ended up severing your attachment to your Commander instead?”</p><p>Obi Wan sighed. “I’m not…it’s not the same. I don’t feel the same about them.”</p><p>Quinlan handed his friend the bottle of whisky and waited until Obi Wan relented and took a mouthful. He tried to pass it back but Quin forced him to take another swig. When he was satisfied Obi Wan had drunk enough he took it back and said wryly “Oh yeah. I can see that alright.”</p><p>“I remember why I don’t like hanging out with you.”</p><p>The Kiffar laughed. “On you go.”</p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Even though they were on liberty Obi Wan, for whom such a concept was tenuous at best, led them both from the shuttle station towards the jedi temple. He and the Cody had agreed to meet with Master Plo to coordinate a possible aerial and ground assault for the imminent invasion of Felucia and this was the only window Master Plo had before he and Wolfpack flew off Coruscant- their own liberty ending the next day.</p><p>Additionally, Obi Wan had an appointment with Master Merwin, a jedi healer assigned to him by Chief Healer Master Che. Merwin specialised in grief counselling and Obi Wan recognised that he needed help making peace with Satine’s death all those months ago if he was going to let go of his desire for revenge against Maul, and if he were truly honest, anger directed at himself for the mistakes he made in dealing with the confrontation.</p><p>He’d insisted Cody accompany him to the Halls of Healing because his Commander had been flatly ignoring a back injury for the last week and Obi Wan was tired of Hopeful loitering by his quarters with updates about all the times his usually level-headed and fair Commander had snapped at shinies who didn’t have the good sense to make sure their armour was spotless before going on duty. Although Obi Wan held that how the Commander disciplined the 212<sup>th</sup> was entirely nothing to do with him, he suspected that some time under the gentle hands of a jedi healer might relieve everybody in one way or another. Moons, yesterday Cody had growled at him when he’d blearily dropped his fork into his soup.</p><p> </p><p>It always amused him that like clockwork the Commander removed his helmet and tucked it under his arm just as they climbed the temple steps, and he suspected this was the conclusion to an internal struggle made up of the his desire to blend in with the informality of the complex (no helmet) versus his natural comfort zone of not being exposed (helmet.) Obi Wan had gently given him permission to wear it if he wanted, but Cody obviously saw it as a habit or a crutch he was determined to overcome. Since Obi Wan had enough of those himself (tucking his hands in his sleeves when he was uncertain, flirting with enemies who wanted to kill him, to name but two) he entirely understood.</p><p>The two of them made their way to the quieter corner of the complex where Obi Wan’s quarters were, pausing occasionally for him to speak to other jedi, or greet temple staff he was familiar with. They crossed paths with a gaggle of younglings who bowed politely to the jedi master and then took to gazing in unabashed awe at the Marshall Commander of the 212<sup>th</sup> in his striking armour. Obi Wan spied a few of the youngest making futile grabby-hands towards his intriguing facial scar, which he point blankly did not relate to at all. Eventually he relented and took pity on him and ushered him away, but not before turning at the last minute, making his hands into claws and roaring like a krayt dragon. He gave the rumour about a day and half to spread throughout the temple and began anticipating Cody’s next return with bemusement. The last thing he heard the clone mutter before he pointedly put his helmet back on and walked the rest of the way studiously cold-shouldering him was </p><p>
  <em>vemin dar’jetii.</em>
</p><p>Obi Wan regarded it as a total win.</p><p> </p><p>When he keyed in the simple code to his private room and the door slid open he ushered the Commander inside and wandered over to the wardrobe for some looser fitting clothing he could borrow.</p><p>“You can leave your armour here for the time being, Cody” he explained. “Come back when you’re done, you know the code.”</p><p>“Thank you, sir.”</p><p>“There’s caf in the kitchen. Nothing else edible I’m afraid but you know where the refectory is.”</p><p>“I do.”</p><p>Obi Wan caught the upbeat tone in the reply and turned from the shelf, arm full of clothes.</p><p>“Is the GAR food really that bad?”</p><p> That earned him a sardonic eyebrow, which was fair since Obi Wan had eaten it himself on and off for the last few years.</p><p>“Jedi food is better.”</p><p>Obi Wan groaned and shook his head. “We need to go out for dinner. I find it completely unacceptable that your benchmark for what constitutes delicious food is temple scran.”</p><p>“Ah, but it’s also free” Cody added. “Last time I checked, the vode don’t get paid the big credits.”</p><p>It galled Obi Wan to recall that when the war had started the soldiers weren’t paid at all. Just another dehumanising extension of the Kaminoan disregard of clones as anything other than tools, and the jedi council having to play catch-up on the sudden appearance of a million strong Republic army. Senators Amidala and Chuchi had pressed the issue and it was down to their dogged diligence that Cody and his brothers now received a small stipend for their services. Obi Wan had not the faintest idea what Cody spent his credits on, however. His spotless quarters gave no clue, nor did the jedi’s ramshackle probing questions. He’d caved and asked Rex to shed some light, but Rex had already been flipped, since his faux sincere answer of ‘antiques sir. Cody is really into antiques” got him no further than a smug smirk over breakfast from the Commander in the mess the next day. (Rex never had any credits as he kept losing them to Wolffe in sabacc. Obi Wan had offered to teach him how to cheat, which earned him a rare scandalised look from the 501<sup>st</sup> Captain.)</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, well that’s another thing we have in common it seems. However, I know a very accommodating Besalisk who runs a diner in Cocotown and I am certain that once you let him know how many times you’ve saved my life he’ll let you eat for free.”</p><p>Cody tilted his head and pretended to scowl. “Should I be worried that maths works differently here at the Core, sir?”</p><p>Obi Wan sighed. “Well alright. I dare say if you insist on paying your way then I suppose we could make a detour to the crime district for some petty theft first. I presume pick-pocketing was standard training on the homeworld?”</p><p>“Only for cadets aged 3 and over, sir. What with the Kaminoans being so tall.”</p><p>Obi Wan laughed. “Alright. Halls of Healing first, then I’ll meet you in the Hanger at noon and we’ll head out to Dexter’s for a bite before the briefing with Master Plo.”</p><p>“The hanger?”</p><p>Obi Wan dropped the clothing on the half-made bed which already had an untidy sprawl of books, datapads and a spare robe that needed repairing on it. “Anakin keeps an old airspeeder he’s been tinkering with in the mech bay there and I have finally been given permission to borrow it. On the condition that I am careful.”</p><p>Cody placed his helmet down on Obi Wan’s desk. “It’s like he doesn’t know you at all, sir.”</p><p>“Indeed.”</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p>Obi Wan left the Commander in the Halls of Healing after he’d pointedly insisted he accept the deep muscle tranq the jedi healer had been offering and the clone had been waving away. A quiet word revising the diagnosis with the healer (“assume he is in much more pain than he is admitting”) and an upped dosage and he was satisfied his work there was done.</p><p>“General, I may end up sleeping through the Felucia briefing” Cody warned, peeling off his shirt. Obi Wan got another glimpse of the two small lines of numbers tattooed on his upper chest. He’d pieced together from previous sightings that the top line was Rex’s designation, but how the lower string of co-ordinates related to it remained a mystery he didn’t feel he could legitimately ask about. </p><p>“Oh, I doubt that once you meet Dexter’s traditional caf machine” he smiled.</p><p>Cody’s face lit up. “Caf machine?”</p><p>Obi Wan backed away towards the doors, miming with his hands. “He tips actual beans in the top and actual caf filters out the bottom. Black and gloopy as Lah’mu magma.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“It’s Coruscant, Cody,” he called out, pushing open the door. “We’re not savages.”</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>The Room of a Thousand Fountains was on the other side of the temple complex, necessitating a temple shuttle if he was to arrive at his appointment on time. Master Merwin was waiting for him under the shade of an assari tree. He tipped his head in a low bow. “Master Merwin, please accept my thanks in agreeing to work with me today.”</p><p>The Cosian stood and returned the gesture. “Master Kenobi. I have learned, through long experience, that a grief shared is like bread shared: it does more good when broken in two.”</p><p>They strolled along one of the many stone paths that led into the garden, letting each fork appeal to them as it wished rather than heading for a specific direction. Around them lush plants filled the beds and dangled from pagodas and archways. The omnipresent melody of water accompanied them and the air was rich with life. Of all the places in the Temple this was the most intrinsically connected with the living Force.</p><p> </p><p>Master Merwin asked gentle probing questions about Obi Wan’s recent engagements with the 212<sup>th</sup>, his opinions about the war and his hopes for the times that would come after its completion. From time to time they would pause at some plants or trees and share what knowledge they had of the flora (Merwin, as befitted someone who brought many of his patients to the gardens, not only knew most of them, but also was skilled in using each one as subtle lessons and analogies tailored to the needs of his companion that day. Obi Wan for his part could just about manage to distinguish bamboo from everything else but he made up for it in enthusiasm.)</p><p>After the melodic garden clock chimed the hour they wound up in an enclave of the garden Master Merwin must have had in mind for the session, as he settled on one of the wicker and moss mats and wrapped his long tail behind him. Obi Wan joined him on the other one and together they let the sights and sounds of this part of the garden fill their senses. The pocket sanctuary the healer had chosen was cordoned off by an ancient hedgerow on three sides, dotted at random with tiny white and orange flowers. The entry was a low bower that both jedi dipped their heads to pass through. In the clearing aside from the mats a small wicker sculpture of three impossible hares dominated one corner of the space. Obi Wan hadn’t seen it since he was a young padawan and his heart leapt with pleasure at recognising it again. The circular structure of these three animals linked by three ears was as marvellous and paradoxical as ever. He glanced at Master Merwin and wondered if the jedi healer had somehow known this was one of his favourite features in the garden, or if in fact the more mundane explanation was that it was one of the most popular sculptures. It didn’t matter- he had been brought to a place that made him feel happy and safe, that connected him with his past and was exuberant with the Force. It was a good place to be for the task at hand.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p>“If the paths were narrow, I would hold her hand” he explained, later.</p><p>“I believe this will be a good focus for your meditation, Master Kenobi. To reach a state of certainty that you don’t need to hold on, that letting go and accepting what comes next is the right thing to do.”</p><p>They were deep into the guided meditation by now. Obi Wan had given an honest account of his relationship with Satine, comforted in the knowledge that the Healer would not judge him and aware that holding anything back would impede the therapy. He also knew that he wasn’t the first jedi to develop attachments and he had made the right decision all those years ago to draw a line under that version of their relationship. He had been happy and thankful that it had grown into something different, something useful to both Mandalore and The Republic, and though they had still disagreed, bickered, still been unable to compromise without becoming different people, the glowing ember of affection had remained. She had been one his oldest and most significant friends. He had loved and admired her for a very long time.</p><p> </p><p>Obi Wan had struggled that first year back from Mandalore. He’d been so certain he’d made the correct decision, staying in the Order, continuing along his path, but the truth was he missed the alternative life that he’d become familiar with: he and Qui Gonn and Satine together, with a purpose- perilous as it was (survive, don’t get caught, keep moving.) He’d grown closer to both of them than he could’ve ever imagined, seen each of them no longer as Master and Duchess but as complicated, brave individuals who enriched him, made him a better human being. He drew strength and comfort and inspiration and yes, pleasure, from them in different ways. The satisfaction that came with making his master’s eyes crease as he tried not to give in to laughing at Obi Wan’s quips and failed, the thrill in his gut that came from the smart back and forth negotiations with Satine, and later the heady intimacy of just the two of them together- to return to Temple life, to his own dull diplomatic assignments, often carried out with a different master as Qui Gonn’s nonconformist quests took him further and further away from the council… he felt such a loss of kinship and purpose he began to falter, withdraw. If it hadn’t been for Master Plo, always the most empathetic of the jedi masters, Obi Wan didn’t know what would have become of him.</p><p> </p><p>And then there was Quin. He had always admired and been a little envious of how easy Quinlan was with his emotions. He hadn’t struggled with attachment, even when they were younglings together, and as padawans he’d watched as the Kiffar formed easy, mutually enjoyable acquaintanceships with myriad others. That first difficult year back, as much as Master Plo helped him find his path again, refocus his energies, he had to concede that Quinlan’s own style of therapy (which involved him letting Obi Wan put voice to his general existential malaise as they made their way through some questionable bars on Coruscant Lower, then nudging him onto a bed, declaring that Obi Wan needed ‘some new sense memories’ and asking if there were any objections whilst he hauled off his own shirt) had in truth probably helped, in its own slightly awkward, eye-opening way.</p><p> </p><p>Obi Wan had briefly, insanely, considered testing those harmless waters a decade later immediately after Satine’s murder when he’d returned to Coruscant broken and adrift. Quinlan however had curtailed any attempt he might have made without Obi Wan even suggesting it, giving him a fond shake of the head and saying ‘wrong person’ which Obi Wan took to mean his friend was involved with someone. He had however got them both staggeringly drunk and almost arrested until Commander Fox had to intervene and make the charges go away- so some things hadn’t changed (although Quinlan’s suggestive smirk at the Coruscanti Commander cast doubt on Obi Wan’s theory of Quin having a partner and therefore what he had meant by his utterance.)</p><p> </p><p>As part of the meditation Obi Wan took the time to work his way through the layers of memory and different states of being. The realities shifted against each other like strata of clouds. First, the Temple: the soothing trickle of a fountain somewhere behind him, the gentle guiding presence in the Force of Master Merwin; further out the dim lights of Yoda and Mace in their respective quarters; Cody dopey and relaxed in the Halls of Healing. He let it all fade into the background then superimposed onto it the memory of being on Mandalore with Satine, the feel of her cool hand loose in his. Then finally the imagined scene he was creating to aid the process of detachment: their release, seeing her continue along the climbing mountain path without him.</p><p>“Now embellish the scene with desirable features. This will endear it to your mind, ease you into accepting it” he heard Master Merwin suggest, his voice far away. “The healing crystals will enhance your sensations.” The scent of the Mandalorean lime tree groves in the valley below drifted over on the cool early evening breeze. Birds sang, the first stars appeared. He made it peaceful, idyllic, made it as appealing as he could.</p><p> </p><p>However, the scenario snagged against something in his mind as tried to press the elements together into a coherent whole, wouldn’t quite keep still enough to settle. In the fabricated vision they walked on, except now they were climbing, as the pleasant mountain paths had inexplicably grown steeper. Features of the landscape seemed to smooth away to nothing and the sky darkened to black. There was a palpable sense of danger, of urgency that he couldn’t explain, nor could he remember why he was here, what his mission was. The temperature dropped away so that Obi Wan felt exposed to the cold of space.</p><p>He was scrabbling up the now almost vertical incline, clinging to the edge, when out of nowhere a buffeting wind battered over him, threatening to tear him loose. Satine was nowhere to be seen, but he still remembered he was supposed to let go, which was good because he couldn’t hold on anymore anyway. His fall was inevitable and somehow he knew it was terminal, that he was going to die.</p><p>As he fell an insistent alarm cut through an almost deafening roar. It was a ship alarm and belonged in the scene since he was somehow now inside a ship and yet something about it was a thread back to his other self, still and focussed in the garden of the Temple. He desperately followed it back to himself, all the while falling, falling as the fabrication collapsed entirely and reality reasserted itself.</p><p> </p><p>When he’d finally felt enough of himself again to open his eyes he realised that the alarm was not only part of his meditation but was also coming from somewhere on the other side of the Temple Complex, loud enough to be heard through the windows of the Room of a Thousand Fountains.</p><p>“What happened?” he asked, groggy and disorientated. The Cosian had his arm on Obi Wan’s shoulder to steady him. Being yanked out of a deep trance could be disorientating even for the most adept practitioner.</p><p>“Evacuation alarm coming from the South East Quadrant. I do not know the cause but I sense a disturbance in the Force.” Master Merwin stood up and offered his hand. Obi Wan let himself be guided to his feet.</p><p>“Were you successful?” the jedi healer enquired as they and many other visitors calmly made their way out of the gardens, past the clock whose noonday chimes were muffled by concerned voices and the alarm.</p><p>Obi Wan sighed and shook his head, his conflicted feelings unsettling him. He should have felt disappointment in losing his focus, in letting different emotions and memories filter into his vision, and he did, but he also felt relief, and that made no sense. He remembered that fall- it hadn’t been metaphorical- it had been real. Grievous’ ship was on fire and he was falling, falling until a white-gloved hand caught him and did not let go.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>From the muster point of the pavilion black billowing smoke was visible, engulfing a corner of the Southern Quarter. Although he overheard Master Merwin discouraging speculation amongst the crowd of padawans and temple staff that made up their crowd of evacuees, Obi Wan had heard the word ‘bomb’ more than once. Instinctively he reached out in the Force and found the concerned but calm presence of Master Yoda, safe in the Pinnacle Room, and Master Plo in his quarters, a handful of younglings sequestered there for safety. Master Windu was moving through the corridors giving instructions, defusing fear. The lights of his other colleagues glowed in the fabric of the Force, finding and reassuring each other.</p><p>But when he reached out for the Commander there was nothing.</p><p>The panic began in him almost immediately and it was of an intensity strong enough to draw the concern of the jedi Healer.</p><p>“Master Kenobi, what is it?”</p><p>Obi Wan stumbled against the Cosian, who supported him and waited until he could find his voice.</p><p>“My Commander’s in there, but…I can’t feel him.”</p><p>Merwin looked across at the carnage of the bombsite. Part of the lower exterior wall was gone. He could make out fire suppressers already hard at work, but the blaze still burned and licked at the building.</p><p>“It is hard to see clearly in the Force during such turmoil, my friend. Many raw emotions cloud the truth of things. With time…”</p><p>“No master, you don’t understand! He’s not there. He was, this morning. He was indecisive in my room about where to put his battered bucket, like he would mess up the place with it when I am the least tidy person on the whole ship…and then he was grateful and happy in the Halls of Healing because they were going to jab him with a big needle full of painkillers and he was going to drink proper caf…”</p><p>Obi Wan could hear himself rambling, discordant statements and feelings struggling against each other, but he couldn’t stop. Two concerned administrators trotted past, datapads in hand.</p><p>“It’s the Hanger” he heard one say to the other. “Kriff- the whole thing’s destroyed.”</p><p> </p><p>Obi Wan ran.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <em>In which all the trees in the Temple might as well be pine trees</em>
</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>With the shuttles shut down it was a fair distance to get to the Southwest Tower. He ruled out going through the interconnected buildings, since the doors most likely would have sealed as preventative measures, or else the Temple Guardians would keep him out and he didn’t want a dressing down later (or a confrontation now) with Master Drallig. To head towards the bombsite he was going to have to go the long way round. He cut through the arboretum, scaling its inner wall and dropping into a narrow avenue that snaked between two small satellite buildings used for storage. From there it was a long run to the maintenance entrance used by the jedi archivists, but it would get him into the correct building at least. The door itself was locked but Obi Wan wasn’t interested in the door anyway. Barely reducing his pace at all he dove through a small service grating boots first, as much Force power behind it as he could divert from his lungs, and skid to a halt in the narrow damp tunnel beyond.</p><p>First time he’d ever broken into the Jedi Temple. Now he and Cad Bane could swap stories.</p><p>As he crawled the distance to the hatch that would bring him into the building’s public spaces, he noted that the alarms had been silenced. The advantage of the Temple being in effect four main structures was that it was easy to isolate one area from the other very quickly. Those in the section where his quarters were, for example could even be unaware there was a problem, safely sheltered from the risk of danger. The silence here made sense- anyone who was in the building would be out by now and anyone left inside was, well, was probably not coming out.</p><p>He tamped down the bubble of hysteria that threatened to form in his throat and brushed himself off before continuing his sprint towards the hanger area. Now he was finally in the right part of the complex he could smell the burning of oxidised air as the building filters attempted to defuse it throughout the air vents. The hanger was on this level so it was just a matter of driving down corridors and barrelling through intersections. Already he had taken too long. Already it might be too late.</p><p><em>Already</em>, his mind distantly told him, <em>it is too late.</em></p><p>
  <em>You can’t feel him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>There’s only one reason for that. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Long minutes passed as he ran and ran, his heart pounding, his lungs pushing past the strain, and then he was skidding to a halt at a familiar atrium made suddenly ominous in its transformation. The curved walls that encased the Hanger had held but all of the entry doors had buckled under the extreme pressure of the explosion. Obi Wan realised with strangling frustration that he couldn’t get in this way and would have to backtrack. Deducing that the viewing booth or Hanger Control was his best bet, was probably how the rescue crews were accessing the space, he sucked in some air, drew some energy from the Force to push onward after his long frantic sprint and headed for the emergency stairwell that would take him up a level.</p><p> </p><p>As he climbed, he tried to quiet his mind. He tried not to think about telling Waxer and Boil and Wooley that Cody wasn’t coming back with them to the ship this time.</p><p>Rex.</p><p>E chu ta.</p><p>He tried not to think about the whole battalion in the hall stoically calling out the Daily Remembrance: Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum – ‘<em>I'm still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal’ </em>then stitching Cody’s name and number onto the end of that bleak tapestry of loss.</p><p>He wouldn’t be able to say it.</p><p>He wouldn’t be able to admit that he was still alive when his Commander was dead.</p><p>He wouldn’t be able to remember him because he wouldn’t be able to stop seeing him: hovering at his shoulder on the bridge, kneeling beside him on the battlefield, folding his arms and glaring at Obi Wan’s injuries/di’kut plans/pilfered-from-Cody-blaster-kit in a way that meant he was being told off but left him feeling blankly delighted.</p><p> </p><p>He was going to be sick.</p><p> </p><p>He stopped and leaned against a wall, let himself pant out short breaths, distantly aware that he was probably having a panic attack. The scorched acrid smell here was much worse and these combined assaults drew him inextricably to his knees.</p><p>Master Plo found him minutes later, gathered him up and steered him away from the scene. Obi Wan’s anguish must have projected noisily into the Force to summon the jedi. It was a long while before he came out of his numb stupor and recognised his surroundings as being Plo’s personal quarters. A handful of younglings sat quietly off to one side, completing a simple Force juggling task that he himself had done a thousand times before, but he could sense their curious attention was partially on him: the barely responsive master slumped on the floor, looking at nothing.</p><p>After some time Master Plo roused him and summoned the younglings as he had received an all clear to leave the rooms. Obi Wan knew he wouldn’t get anywhere near the bombsite now- it would be cordoned off and swarming with officials. He helped ferry the children out into the corridor and towards their dormitories then thanked Master Plo wordlessly with a bowed head. Plo squeezed both of his shoulders and rested their foreheads together for a moment then let him go. Obi Wan watched them go, then risked a tentative second search.</p><p>Cody’s signature was gone.</p><p>He moved down corridor after corridor without any real purpose or destination, working himself into a new emotion. It was a bomb. Someone had intentionally destroyed part of the Temple, had purposely killed who knew how many innocent victims, had callously decided that these people didn’t matter, that they were expendable. He let the anger bleed into his mind, feeling the rare shape of it, the heft of its potential power. It was leashed up under his skin, but he could feel it wanting out.</p><p>When he was far enough away from the Hanger to realise he was almost back on the unaffected side of the Temple Complex he became aware of the fact people were drifting back into the building. There were no alarms, no rushing safety crew, just a low murmured return. He drifted on and eventually found himself out the door of his own quarters. He mindlessly keyed in the entry code and the door slid open. He saw his bed, still unmade, still covered in odds and ends, and Cody’s helmet on his desk where it had been left and Cody asleep in a chair.</p><p>*</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Cody got lost finding his way back to the General’s quarters. It was probably the incredibly potent drugs in his system making everything a bit fuzzy around the edges, as well as whatever that <em>dral, jahaal’got</em> Force massage had done to his back. He felt amazing, like a <em>shereshoy</em> cadet rather than a veteran of nearly three years of war. Admittedly his sense of <em>marekar</em> was shot to hell and he was dimly aware he was thinking in Mand’oa more than Basic so that probably wasn’t great, but since he had no plans to talk to anyone for the next hour and <em>all the plans</em> to pass out on his <em>mir’sheb jetii’s</em> bed it was all fine.</p><p>If he could ever find it again.</p><p> </p><p>He thought about asking someone for directions but there was something slightly awkward about it, about revealing that he, a clone, was heading to a jedi’s personal room, where he slept and kept his things and basically lived his life when he wasn’t on duty on a starship leading a battalion of people who looked like Cody. He also knew he was being ridiculous, that there was nothing improper about it, and that jedi of all people weren’t going to judge him as unworthy to be in one of their rooms (well, maybe that crazy Kiffar whatever-he-was of the General’s, Quinlan Vos, who could’ve fallen into a sarlacc pit and been digested for a thousand years as far as Cody was concerned. The two jetii had needed an evac from Teth after their unsuccessful mission to retrieve Zillo The Hutt ended in Cad Bane crippling their ship as a goodbye present, and Cody had come for them himself rather than send a pilot. What was supposed to be a simple evac had then turned into an entirely new mission when they’d got diverted to a skirmish en route back to the Negotiator. That was two days of him being shot at and enigmatically scrutinized that he was never going to get back. Moons, he’d take working with that emwhulb pirate Hondo over that sleeveless strill Vos, and that was saying something because one day he was definitely going to shoot Hondo in the shebs and be totally fine with it.)</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He wandered down a few nondescript corridors lamenting the fact that the jedi couldn’t take a hint from the Nabooians and put the odd statue here and there as waymarkers- but nope, that very practical idea hadn’t crossed any of their minds. <em>Not so clever now, jetii,</em> he thought, possibly out loud, since a gaggle of them seemed to look up at him as he completed his third loop by way of this particular thoroughfare. Nevermind. He’d navigated his way out of an underground Geonosian Hive full of zombies in the dark once upon a time- he’d best these beige passageways, <em>pakod</em>. Kenobi had tried to put a worm in his bucket which was very disrespectful to the vode because armour is sacred but it was okay because he just wanted to take it back to the ship to squish into paste so he could science it or something. Cody nearly let him use his helmet except that would set a bad example and he was Marshall Commander and he had to set a good example.</p><p>Oh look, this is where Obi Wan lives.</p><p><em>Bralov</em> Kote!</p><p>Nap time incoming.</p><p> </p><p>The Commander punched in the door code and smiled victoriously as the door successfully slid open. The General wasn’t there because he was talking about his feelings and that was good because the Duchess of Mandalore had been beautiful and clever and it must’ve broken his heart when she died. If Cody ever met that dar’jetii Darth Maul in person he was going to punch him in the face but he wasn’t going to kill him because the General should have the privilege of doing that himself. Cody would pass him his lightsaber, though, if he’d dropped it at some point beforehand. Sometimes he did that but probably not intentionally? Although really it seemed like something was going on because how could he hold onto everything else, like cups of tea and datapads and sometimes ledges during a fight? It was like the jetii’kad wriggled out of his hands on purpose and <em>wanted</em> Cody to pick it up.</p><p>He did drop his robes a lot too, though. Sometimes (Cody suspected) just to be dramatic. What a di’kut.</p><p>Oh look, there’s one on the bed.</p><p>Also, a lot of the General’s books.</p><p>Wow, it’s kind of messy in here.</p><p> </p><p>Cody pulled off his boots and shunted them neatly by the side of the desk. He patted his helmet affectionately and tidied up a pile of flimsi that was strewn about by Obi Wan’s vambrace comm. He picked up a half-drunk cup of cold caf and wandered over to the kitchen area, where he washed it up and left it to dry upside down on the rack. It seemed to take longer than it normally would but that was probably because Cody took extra care to make sure it was really clean because you didn’t want stains and caf could definitely leave a stain if you didn’t do a good job. Cody always tried to do a good job. Mostly he thought he did, and his General sometimes said he did and that was nice when he’d say something along those lines because he meant it and told the truth. That’s why the 212<sup>th</sup> tried to do a good job for him. They’d got the best jetii definitely. Also, his hair sometimes shone in the sun during a crowded battle and that was pretty helpful in locating him and pretty.</p><p> </p><p>He needed to close his eyes now and go to sleep otherwise he was going to fall over. He didn’t need to take his armour off because he was wearing some of the General’s clothes which smelled of him a bit and which had been distracting at first but wasn’t anymore. The bed was still covered in books and other stuff like last time he’d looked at it though so he couldn’t lie down there. Maybe he could go back to the shuttle except he’d probably fall asleep at the controls and crash it and then he’d have to fill in a requisition form to get a new one because the Vigilance needed its ETAs and they cost 100,000 credits each and they might make Cody pay for it. He could ask Rex for a loan except Rex was always broke. Maybe he could sell the General’s secret modified WESTAR 34 pistol.</p><p>They weren’t exactly outlawed but they were very rare. Kenobi had in fact faced not one but a pair of WESTAR 34 blasters because he’d fought Jango Fett and they were Jango’s guns. He’d told Cody his lightsaber had made almost no impact whatsoever on the Dallorian alloy when he’d tried to slice the barrel off. Thankfully, the bounty hunter had lost one of the pistols to the Kaminoan ocean and the other to the Geonosis arena during the first Battle of Geonosis which Cody had missed. That was where Kenobi had been tied to a pole, and Cody didn’t know why <em>of</em> <em>all the details</em> that was the one the General had decided to put a picture of in his head, but he had and now Cody sometimes thought about him tied to a pole and got completely distracted and then forced himself to stop himself thinking about it and went back to work.</p><p>If asked directly Cody might admit to knowing where that second WESTAR 34 pistol now was, but since nobody had as yet asked him he was gonna keep as quiet as a mousedroid.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p>He awoke because he was being prodded in the shoulder. The fact he could feel it meant that he wasn’t wearing his armour, which meant he wasn’t on the battlefield and therefore it was probably safe to open his eyes without reaching for his blaster. Having reached this conclusion, he mustered up the will to actually do so, even though he really wanted to stay asleep.</p><p> </p><p>“General?” he blearily took in his surroundings and the jedi crouched in front of him. “How long was I out?” He blinked and tried to stretch but discovered, when all his muscles complained at once, that he was folded up in a chair.</p><p>“I don’t know. You were supposed to meet me at noon but.”</p><p>His General sounded off- not angry but something was wrong. Cody got that since it drove him mad when people weren’t punctual but still, he couldn’t identify what emotion there was behind those words and that immediately sent up a red flare.</p><p>“Ah.” Lunch plans. Kark it. “Sorry, sir. The painkillers knocked me out.”</p><p>“I hadn’t heard from you.”</p><p>Cody blinked a few more times and tried to rouse himself into something more awake. He tilted his head towards the desk. “You left your comm here this morning. I’m assuming because you didn’t want to be disturbed during your session with Master Melwin.”</p><p>“Merwin.”</p><p>“Sorry. Merwin.”</p><p>The General didn’t say anything more but got up and crossed the room. Cody noted with unease that his arms were deep in his sleeves and he was for some reason unfocussed, unhappy. That was it: his jetii was unhappy.</p><p>He strained to sit up straighter. “Sir? Is everything alright?”</p><p>Kenobi threw him a quick sharp look which seemed to have about half a dozen warring emotions in it and Cody was so shocked he swallowed hard and instinctively glanced at the exit route- a deeply routed fight or flight response that under normal circumstances would have no place in their relationship. As quickly as it had been there Kenobi tamped it down and turned his face away. He huffed and scrubbed his face then turned back and waved a hand at where Cody was sat.</p><p>“Commander. What is the point of you spending time in the Halls of Healing fixing your back if you are just going to undo it all by sleeping in a chair?”</p><p>Cody glanced over at the messy bed. “Uhm, I didn’t want to interfere with your belongings, General, so….”</p><p>“Interfere? For Force sake Cody, you should have just shoved it all on the floor. When have you known me to care about ‘stuff?!’” As if to prove his point he paced over to the bed and started grabbing the books and pushing them haphazardly onto the shelves above. Cody watched uncomfortably and did not know what to say or do.</p><p>“I mean it’s been over two years so if you don’t have any sort of grasp on what matters to me by now it doesn’t bode well for us working together, does it?”</p><p>Cody didn’t understand why Kenobi was picking a fight with him but he was pretty karking sure that’s what was happening. And that had never happened before. So this was bad.</p><p>Books done the jedi seized the spare robe, bundled it up and deposited it into the wardrobe. Cody had never seen anyone so aggressively wrestle an item of clothing onto a hanger and under different circumstances he would’ve laughed. He felt vulnerable in the chair, vaguely guilty, so he pulled himself to his feet and quietly retrieved his boots whilst the other man remade the bed and propped the pillows back into place.</p><p>“If you don’t look after yourself…Force, Cody there’s an irony here in me saying this to you of all people, the number of times you glare it at me. Or bypass the glaring and tell me to my face.” He shook his head and huffed again. He gestured to the now made bed.</p><p>“There.”</p><p>Cody wasn’t sure how to interpret that last utterance, whether it was a conclusion or an instruction. He wasn’t sure how to interpret anything that was happening. Clearly something was very wrong, something that had changed in the time between them leaving this morning and now. Maybe he was witnessing the fallout from the jedi’s therapy session, perhaps that hadn’t gone as well as he’d hoped. Or maybe he’d slept through something else. The frustration of not understanding ached as much as his back. (To be fair to the person currently having a meltdown in front of him, he wasn’t wrong about the chair.)</p><p>“Like I said, I’m sorry.”</p><p>“Well an apology isn’t that useful right now and we can’t go back to the Halls of Healing because the whole complex is on lockdown. Really, Cody” The hands went back in the sleeves. “If your back has gone back to how it was…” Cody saw him chew his lip in frustration at the bumbling sentence so unlike his usual eloquence “then I suppose we could get Hopeful to look at it again. Although there are two more days of liberty so honestly finding him…”</p><p>Yeah, Cody wasn’t having any more of this. He folded his arms and caught the other man’s gaze. “Sir” he said pointedly.</p><p>Kenobi stopped his ramble. Cody retraced what he’d just heard.</p><p>“Why is everything in lockdown?”</p><p>The jedi sighed. He leaned back against the desk and his shoulders fell. “There was an attack. A bomb on the other side of the complex” he said quietly.</p><p>“Is everyone alright?”</p><p>“No Commander. Everyone is not alright” he suddenly snapped, then immediately apologised, raising his hand to his beard and scratching it anxiously. “I don’t know who’s dead. Or injured. I don’t know who’s responsible. I don’t know why anyone would bomb the hanger. I don’t know what to do about it, whether I can even do anything about it, whether…”</p><p>“The hanger?”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Oh.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>They should both be dead right now.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Cody unfolded his arms and took a step towards the jedi. He didn’t move any closer, uncertain whether he should, whether this was enough to convey that he was okay, that there was nothing to worry about, that he was here. Kenobi blinked like he was trying to keep something painful from reaching his face, and to most people he would’ve managed, but Cody knew that face well. He’d looked at it and glanced at it and risked admiring it when he thought he could get away with it or was just helpless with longing for the man it belonged to.</p><p>“Obi Wan…” he said, as gently as he could, the act of naming so unfamiliar, so intimate. He almost never said it even though he knew the jedi wanted him to. Maybe because of that. Because there were supposed to be boundaries.</p><p>“We were supposed to meet there.”</p><p>“Yes” Cody said.</p><p>“It makes me feel very uncomfortable when there’s a possibility you might be dead and there’s nothing I can do about it.”</p><p>Cody nodded. “Likewise.”</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>“But fortunately I was in your chair.”</p><p>“I’d have liked you to be in my bed.”</p><p> </p><p>Cody <em>just about</em> managed to quash any and all thoughts, feelings and entirely line-overstepping physical gestures that immediately bloomed hot and insistent upon hearing that. Since Obi Wan had stilled and clammed up he was clearly also aware of how hopelessly suggestive what he’d said had sounded. Plus, he wasn’t meeting Cody’s eyes anymore, but seemed to be <em>looking blankly at his mouth.</em> The hazard that was an idea of what they might do in the next moment suffused and charged the room, forcing Cody to revise his assessment about the success of his quashing- because he was a hair’s-breadth away from taking another step forward and spacing his entire career and heart.  </p><p>Instead he let out what he feared was blatantly the galaxy’s longest, shakiest breath, pretended he hadn’t, schooled his face into professionalism and went for casual reassurance, suspecting he’d missed by a country mile. “I…Also…well I’m glad you knew I was okay from my Force signature.” He smiled softly, a little embarrassed “The number of times that jetii trick has saved my life…”</p><p>Obi Wan’s gaze came back to his eyes, then left it and for some reason drifted around the room like something untethered. He pursed his lips and nodded but it was the kind of nod a person does when they are trying to convince themselves of something and Cody felt like he was no longer part of the conversation, that the jedi had retreated inside himself again and the moment between them was over. Now it was his turn to feel warring emotions: both relief that the completely unmanageable <em>something</em> between them had been put back in its box and heartsick disappointment at exactly the same thing.</p><p>He took himself to the corner of the room where his armour and blacks were stacked in a neat pile and waited until Kenobi came back to himself again.</p><p>“I should probably get dressed.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>The General’s comm buzzed and Kenobi answered. “Yes?”</p><p>Master Yoda’s voice filled the room. “Master Kenobi. Relieved I am to hear your voice. A dark day this is, a dark day. With many unanswered questions. In the Pinnacle Room the council is meeting. Come as soon as you can.”</p><p>“Yes Master” Kenobi replied. “And it is good to hear your voice too, my friend.” He glanced at Cody. “Commander Cody is here with me.”</p><p>“Good. Good. Assist Commander Fox if he is willing to. A great help he will be.” He paused then added sadly “In the Hanger were many clones. A tragedy for everyone this day is.”</p><p>Kenobi ended the call and fitted his comm into his vambrace. “Is that alright, Cody? That you help Commander Fox?”</p><p>“Of course, General. And I’ll contact Wolffe to let him know we’ll postpone the Felucia briefing.”</p><p>“Oh yes. Thank you.”</p><p>He nodded then registered the armour and Cody standing awkwardly. “Ah, I’ll leave you to…” he waved a hand at it “and go join the Council.”</p><p>“Okay sir.” Cody carefully placed the pile down on the corner of the bed. Obi Wan moved towards the door but stopped short and at the last moment out of the blue put his hand on Cody’s hip, turned him and pressed his face into the Commander’s shoulder. Cody tentatively placed a palm on the small of his back, instinctively nudging him closer. Obi Wan lifted his head slightly and then his soft mouth was featherlight, unmoving but very much against Cody’s neck. They stayed in that loose embrace for only a moment before the jedi stepped away and slid out of the room.</p><p>Cody closed his eyes and gave himself permission to feel All The Things.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <em>And I thought this plan smelled bad on the outside</em>
</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Obi Wan knew he should try and sleep, that in a handful of hours they would arrive at Boonta, but the exhaustion he felt was mental rather than physical and would not migrate into his body. Talking with Quinlan had been cathartic but also raised more questions than answers, especially since Quin seemed to think he was wrong about what the problem was in the first place anyway.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“It’s time to be brutally honest, my friend, so hold on to your dignity because here we go: one of these things is not like the others…” He raised his fingers one at a time. “You are well and truly attached to your Commander; you feel guilty about it; and your Force bond is shot to pieces.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Obi Wan tensed up, grimaced, then gave the other jedi a pained look. “I…” he shrugged helplessly “I don’t know, Quin.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“It’s the first one. Because it’s true- but you know that already. The others are bantha osik.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Obi Wan tilted his head in surprise.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Hear me out. You think your mind broke the bond because you feel guilty. But can I just say this, as someone who’s known you a long time? I know what guilt feels like because I’ve done plenty of things that have hurt people. I mean, I’ve betrayed people I cared about. But you are the most selfless, upright, kriffing noble jedi I ever met. Let me ask you this, and answer honestly because your life may kind of depend upon it: when it comes to your Commander, do you feel guilty?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Obi Wan didn’t have an answer to that.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You probably think you should feel guilty, but I suspect deep down you actually don’t. Because caring about someone isn’t something to feel guilty about. Neither is being happy.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Obi Wan still retained an air of scepticism so Quinlan pressed on. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“And it’s by the by anyway because I have a theory that your bond isn’t even broken. So that takes care of the other one.” He folded his fingers back into his hand. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I can’t sense him” Obi Wan protested. “Also, my lightsaber is being petulant and ignoring me.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Quin laughed. “Well its shape is suggestive of…”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Obi Wan suddenly waved a hand at him, cutting him off. </em>
</p><p><em>“Okay! Okay. Moving on.” He gentled his voice. “The </em>one<em> other person you cared most about outside the jedi Order- Duchess Satine- died. And you feel partly responsible for that because you’d formed an attachment to her. The way I see it, the best way to protect getting hurt again is to trick your feelings into thinking it’s different with your Commander. Stang, I’ve even heard you use those exact same words. We can’t feel the signatures of strangers, only those we know well, who we are close too. But the bond was just fine when you were talking with Master Merwin in the Garden. You said yourself you could sense the Commander high as a kite in the Halls of Healings so there must’ve been a catalyst that wasn’t guilt.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“I didn’t use that phrasing.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I’ve had those tranqs. I know. I lay belly down on the carpet in my quarters for half a day until they wore off.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Obi Wan couldn’t help but laugh. “Well that doesn’t sound like your usual dignified self. What were you trying to do? Read the entire history of the room with your psychometry?”</em>
</p><p><em>“Actually, I was trying to get it to hug me back. But this about you. You could feel him until the bomb and then I am going to hazard that rather than feel </em>the other<em> person you care most about die you ripped out the comm wire, so to speak. You know, no news is good news?”</em></p><p>
  <em>“So, you don’t think the bond is really broken?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Quinlan shook his head. “It’s like you’ve got a blast helmet on- like the younglings wear for lightsaber training. Except yours stops you reaching out with your feelings.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Obi Wan turned the image over in his mind. “So basically a normal helmet then” he teased.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Shut up, I’m not great with metaphors. But my guess is you’ve blinded yourself to the bond, in the vain belief that if you can’t feel it it’s not there and therefore the two of you aren’t attached to each other and Cody will be safe and live happily ever after because he is in no way connected to death-attracting General Obi Wan Kenobi: formerly cool in a crisis; currently all round hot mess.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Obi Wan slumped against the wall and scrubbed his hands over his face. Quin patted his knee and grinned. “Oh, I’m not done yet. There’s a part two to this psychoanalysis. Ready?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Not really” came the muffled reply. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What really tickles my boner…”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“That’s not the phrase, Quin.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Is that at the same time as feigning indifference in the Force you have gone out of your way to be super over-protective. Which kind of negates the whole indifference thing. I mean only you could come up with something so elegantly karked up.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I have?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“In the briefing you were so adamant that if Cody were here, he wouldn’t go on the mission.” Obi Wan looked about to reply but Quinlan kept talking. “I know, you said it was because he was a valuable asset, but…don’t you get it? If the Commander were here, you couldn’t stop him volunteering. The two of you would have one of those silent arguments I’ve seen you have in the past, or maybe you’d try and ‘negotiator’ your way to persuading him, but it wouldn’t work. You’re not the only selfless, noble idiot on this ramshackle falling apart ship. And I’m willing to bet my last bottle of Deveronian Skurr that there’s been other occasions recently where you’ve tried to tuck the six foot, broad shouldered, clone commander killing-machine under your scrawny wing out of harm’s way.” He looked pointedly at Obi Wan and waited for the jedi to work his way through some memories. The whisky kept him company.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Had he been shielding Cody from danger? When they’d been in pursuit of those slavers, he’d complained about Anakin setting off after six Zygerrianss by himself, only to do exactly the same moments later. He should’ve taken Cody in the skiff. Together they could’ve handled the slavers much more effectively and Obi Wan probably wouldn’t have ended up with broken knuckles on his lightsaber hand and wounded pride. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>And why had he insisted on bringing him to Anaxes? He’d kidded himself that it was just a recreational jaunt, but really what he’d done was extracted the Commander from a deployment which still had some Separatist cells that hadn’t yet been neutralised. Same with the soiree on Alderaan- when Master Yoda had asked if Cody was available as a Clone representative Obi Wan had, well…come to think of it he’d been somewhat economical with the truth. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He sighed, feeling slightly ashamed. “You think I’ve been keeping him near me in order to protect him?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Quinlan smirked. “I think you’ve been keeping him near you because you badly want to jump his batch-grown bones. I mean honestly Obi Wan, you can see that shit from space.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Obi Wan flushed and then fussed with his sleeves, settled on folding his arms then suspected that looked too defensive so let them flop to his sides. Quinlan laughed long and hard at him and then leaned over and wrapped an arm around his neck in a friendly, but forceful hug. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Congratulations. But I mean, you know you’re way out of line with this osik you’re trying to pull, right?” he said.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I am?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yeah. He’s a grown man. He can decide for himself when to stick his neck out and when to run away. Although I’ve never seen him run away. Remember that time he picked us up after Teth and Ziro the Hutt and we ended up trapped in that secret destroyer factory of all places?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Obi Wan grimaced. “Unfortunately I do.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I have never seen anyone drop ten feet onto a droideka and knife it to death. Whilst the room was on fire. And believe me when I tell you, I’ve seen things. Where does he even keep that knife?”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Obi Wan frowned. “Your particular flavour of help, Quin, can be very personally disparaging.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I say what I see, mate. I say what I see.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“But I can’t see anything because I’m wearing an emotional blast helmet?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Oh Kenobi” Quin laughed, patting his friend fondly on the back, hauling himself off the bed and heading for the door, Corellian whisky tucked under one arm. “The sheer number of things you cannot see astounds me.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>*</em>
</p><p> </p><p>A couple of hours later, acknowledging he wasn’t going to sleep in this state, he climbed out of bed, tugged on his clothes, and headed out. It was relatively quiet with only the skeleton crew keeping things ticking over on the graveyard shift.</p><p>He let the Force lead him where it wanted, bypassing the command centre and the observation deck, skipping the mess and the main crew areas. Eventually he found himself at the main hanger, quiet of bodies at this time of night, only the occasional maintenance person drifting in the background, completing run of the mill tasks. Quinlan’s beat up smuggler ship sat by itself in one of the minor bays, it’s loading gantry open. By the sounds coming from inside someone was in the process of prepping it for its journey, although when he reached out his awareness, he sensed that it wasn’t the jedi. He approached and sat himself down on a supply crate, waiting for the crew member to emerge- if only to find out what kind of contraband Quin was inevitably pilfering from The Duck. After a moment footsteps indicated someone was descending and he caught first a glimpse of white clone boots, then legs and finally a whole person in very familiar orange and white armour.</p><p>Obi Wan sucked in a breath. Rex was to be commended- he was now the spitting image of the Commander.</p><p>“Uh, General? Can I help you with something?” he asked, faint surprise in his voice.</p><p>Obi Wan took a moment more to sweep his gaze over the transformed Arc Trooper. “Captain, I must confess to being suitably impressed by your appearance. Aside from the shorter hair the resemblance is uncanny.”</p><p>“Thank you, sir.”</p><p>“I see Kix sorted you out with some prosthetic scarring?”</p><p>“He did.” Rex ran his gloved hand over his scalp “And some dye. I…er…I verified that it wasn’t boot polish before applying it. The 501<sup>st</sup> like to think of themselves as A-Grade pranksters.”</p><p>Obi Wan chuckled. “Oh yes. Anakin is forever regaling me about the hilarities that take place on the Resolute. Fives especially seems to often be in the thick of it.”</p><p>“Any chance of a transfer to the 212<sup>th</sup>?”</p><p>“For him or you?”</p><p>Rex smiled lightly then fiddled with his pauldron.</p><p>“Missing your customised shoulder guard?”</p><p>“Oh. You know Cody. Not one for flashy excess.”</p><p>“Indeed. He barely applies condiments to his food, and that’s saying something considering the state of GAR rations.”</p><p>This earned him another smile, this one wry. “He saves flavour for special occasions. Otherwise it’s not special.”</p><p>Obi Wan shunted along on the crate, gestured for Rex to join him. The Captain complied, removing his gloves and storing them in his belt.</p><p>“Does he know about the mission to Boonta?” he asked.</p><p>“He knows enough.” Rex shifted, then asked a question of his own that had clearly been weighing on his mind. “And you sir? Are you okay with staying behind?”</p><p>This was something Quinlan and he had thrashed out before the Stramash: Obi Wan wanting to join the party but Quin worrying that he was too recognisable as a jedi and would jeopardise their cover. It was yet another compromise to an already terrible plan, but it made sense.</p><p>“I have made my peace with it. Master Vos is not wrong, I may be more of liability than help.”</p><p>The Captain’s face suggested he disagreed, but he kept his silence on the matter.</p><p>“Besides. If anything goes wrong, I’m only a comm link away. And if I have to shave off my beard and dig out my own boot polish to make it past the guards, fear not Captain, I am willing to make such sacrifices.”</p><p>Rex huffed, amused. “Maybe not the beard, sir” he said, like an afterthought. Obi Wan risked a probe to check whether the clone was teasing him but instead registered bashfulness, quickly smothered. He didn’t know what to make of such an unexpected response, nor that he was able to detect emotions so subtle and private. He’d served with Rex for the entirety of the war but his abilities to read his Force signature were normally nowhere near that fine-tuned.</p><p>“I’m supposed to be on meditative retreat you know” he said, redirecting. “Ensconced in a very amenable cabin by a lake on Ossus. This whole detour is proving to be a veritable spanner in the works as far as that goes.”</p><p>“Retreat? Is that like when General Skywalker went to Naboo for a fortnight?”</p><p>Obi Wan didn’t immediately answer, amused to let the silence lengthen between them, curious to see who would break first.</p><p>“Well I wasn’t there, so I wouldn’t like to speak as what Anakin got up to…”</p><p>“No sir. Me neither. Not being there, I mean.”</p><p>“But I imagine…”</p><p>“Perhaps you shouldn’t sir…”</p><p>“I <em>imagine</em>…” Obi Wan smiled “that he got in touch with some things.”</p><p>The clone let out a burst of laughter and nodded. The jedi joined him in the merriment.</p><p>“Oh, I am a bad jedi, aren’t I?”</p><p>Rex touched him lightly on the leg. “No you’re not.” He withdrew his hand and folded his arms. “So don’t ever say that.”</p><p>They sat in companionable quiet for a moment more and Obi Wan ran his eyes over the ship in front of him. He hoped it fared better than the Twilight, that urchin of a vessel Anakin had spent hours and hours tinkering with, only for his former master to leave it behind on Mandalore the last fateful time he was there.</p><p>“You should be aware, Rex, that Quinlan is a terrible pilot.”</p><p>“Terrible like General Skywalker terrible? In that he’s really good but I’m likely to get very travel sick?”</p><p>“Alas, no. Just the regular meaning of terrible. If I had my way flying would be left to droids.”</p><p>“Perhaps you’re on the wrong side in the war then, General.”</p><p>“Yes, well, it has crossed my mind, Cody. Rex, sorry!” He gestured an apology.  “Rex. Really, your disguise is quite convincing.”</p><p>The Captain stood up and moved away from the crate back towards the landing ramp. “Well…uhm, let’s hope so. I should get back to it.”</p><p>Obi Wan stood as well. “Of course. I just stepped out for a stroll in order to tire myself out. You know how it is.”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>“Master Luminara informed me that the Ossus cabin bed has a real moss sprung mattress and is twice the size of a bunk.” He exaggerated his sigh. “Such a shame.”</p><p>He knew he should leave now but his feet didn’t seem to want to take him away from the space and for this enjoyable pocket of time to close. He folded his hands into his sleeves and loitered a little longer.</p><p>“Ah, perhaps before you leave tomorrow evening you should see Kix for some painkillers. I noticed you took a few hits in the Stramash and I’d hate for you to feel the effect of them when you’re in the midst of whatever trouble might arise on Boonta.”</p><p>“I will. Although they were just grazes. Useful because I know what the sparring Captain needs to focus on with the 501st. Although Slider got lucky with that throw. Nearly pulled my entire hand off.”</p><p>Obi Wan tugged his own hands back out of the sleeves. “Oh, you don’t have to tell me about hand injuries.”</p><p>Rex nodded and pointed at the jedi’s lightsaber hand. “Knuckles can be the worst, right?”</p><p>Obi Wan thought about Blaster’s blasted cat and its razor sharp teeth. “Indeed. Well…”</p><p>Having run out of things to say he forced himself to disengage and let the man continue with prepping the ship. He knew that feeling of pre-mission anxiety and how it was sometimes better to throw yourself into some practical task early as a distraction rather than let your mind dwell on things, but he hoped Rex turned in soon and got some sleep.</p><p>“Anyway, good night Captain. I’ll see you in the morning.”</p><p>“Goodnight General.”</p><p>He began backing towards the thoroughfare that led to the main hanger. “It’s Captain, remember, ‘Commander?’” he called out.</p><p>“Yes General” came the steadfast reply.</p><p>Obi Wan returned to his quarters, shed his clothes and dimmed the lights. He ran through a few quick relaxion techniques and was gratified to feel sleep tugging at his consciousness. As he drifted off he added the fact that Rex was already trying to get used to wearing Cody’s armour to his assessment of the clone’s diligent nature. As he slipped into unconsciousness his right hand flexed without him really being aware of it, like a residual thought grasping for his attention, but sleep had already claimed him, so the gesture went unexamined.</p><p> </p><p>In the morning he dressed and breakfasted quickly, reaching the briefing room with an hour to spare. He lost himself in some datapad reports about the campaign on Felucia and was only roused from them when the door chimed to indicate the arrival of either Quinlan or Commander Blaster or perhaps hopefully both of them at the same time. They had a lot to discuss before arriving at Boonta, not least what they were going to do with The Duck. Anakin and Ahsoka were en route to Rodia and they’d need to arrange a rendezvous soon enough to get going with the next phase of the war in the Outer Rim.</p><p> </p><p>The door slid back. A blond head appeared.</p><p>“General. Kark it…”</p><p>“…Rex?” Obi Wan instinctively rose out of his seat. The Arc Trooper grimaced and didn’t mince his words.</p><p>“They’ve gone. In the night.”</p><p>Obi Wan took in the blue armour, again clocked the blond hair, tried to get his brain to process what it meant. He heard himself ask like an out-of-body experience. “Who’s gone?”</p><p>“General Vos…. and the Commander.”</p><p>He swallowed hard and took a deep breath. “Why would Commander Blaster…” His voice was shaking, his body reacting to the panic a few seconds ahead of his mind figuring out its source.</p><p>
  <em>Why would the Commander…</em>
</p><p>The answer engulfed him like a tidal wave and when it fell away he was left shivering and small, half drowned by it.</p><p>
  <em>Because Blaster knew his way around the ship and crew incredibly well for someone who never worked with regs.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Because Obi Wan had instinctively put his hand on his shoulder in the briefing and the way Blaster had smiled softly at him after the scuffle with Vos had been so familiar.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Because Rex impersonating Cody was a terrible idea. Only a genuine ID chip would ensure they could get in the door. Only Cody’s. </em>
</p><p>Rex’s face fell. “General, I’m so sorry! I wanted to tell you as soon as Master Vos turned up. We both did. Kark it, Cody was outside your door most nights…but General Yoda insisted he keep it secret still so as not to undo the purpose of the undercover training….and then in the briefing you were so adamant he couldn’t go if he was actually here…”</p><p>Obi Wan gripped the table edge to stop himself falling over. He flashed back to the hanger, to Rex <em>no, not Rex</em> pointing at his right hand, the hand he’d injured during the fight by the well, the hand Cody had held so carefully in the LAART en route back with the Zygerrians.</p><p>“<em>Well Sir, at least you have a good reason for dropping your lightsaber this time.”</em>  </p><p>Rex didn’t know about that mission.</p><p>He took a few lungfuls of breath, tamped his emotions down hard.</p><p>“Rex.”</p><p>“Yes sir?” He was pale and tense, knowing surely what was coming next.</p><p>“The GAR training assignment the Commander was on. What is it?”</p><p>Rex bit out the answer. “Field training, sir. Uhm…undercover work.”</p><p>Obi Wan closed his eyes and forced the words out of his mouth.</p><p>“Rex. I am only going to ask you once and I am ordering you to tell me the truth.”</p><p>“Sir. Yes Sir.”</p><p>The jedi pinned him with a gaze full of worry but tinged with fury. His next words were pointless.</p><p>He knew. He already knew.</p><p>“Where is Cody?!”</p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Boil tugged the swearing-in-Huttese jedi awkwardly by the forearm along the corridors, down to the flank of the venator where a handful of escape pods nestled against the bulkhead walls, and nudged him into the furthest one- because it had come to that. Desperate times. General Kenobi had yelled at Rex- which he’d never done in over two years of campaigning together- loud enough for Boil to hear it through the briefing room wall- then he’d burst onto the bridge reeking of frustration and worry and proceeded to infect all the crew on duty with his frantic pacing and non sequiters. Boil managed to piece together scraps of what happened: that somehow Blaster wasn’t Blaster; that Cody was heading to Boonta; that the jedi council and GAR training board could go space themselves. Stuff like that. After hardly any time at all of this Kenobi had abandoned the bridge and a little while later Boil got an awkward message from Hopeful letting him know there were some loud noises coming from Commander Cody’s quarters and that he might want to head that way to investigate otherwise Hopeful was going to get his tranquilisers out and try and jab a jedi he had never been that successful at jabbing at the best of times when he was merely physically injured rather that in some sort of mental anguish. The fact that Hopeful had tagged him in suggested the medic’s own attempts to engage General Kenobi (Captain) into revealing what was wrong had come to naught.</p><p>Why Hopeful though Boil was best placed to wrangle a clearly pissed off jedi eluded him. Waxer could be a stang of a moody bastard at times but it was one thing talking your vod down from doing something rash, it was quite another to hope to get through to someone who had expressed perhaps half a dozen mild emotions in the two years you’d known him. Besides, now that Commander Blaster- Cody- had gone awol with that weird smug jetii didn’t Hopeful realise Boil was basically trying to manage the entire ship by himself? After all this was over he was going to request a promotion.</p><p>He looked longingly at his bucket but left it on the designated shelf on the command deck and headed for the officer’s quarters. He stuck his head in the visiting officer’s room first, where Blaster (Cody- stang he’d done a good job fooling everyone) had been billeted. It was spotless, which made total sense considering who had been living there, bar one thing: a beat up field jacket and swoop cap in a pile on the floor, looking for all the world like they’d been dragged off the hanger in a fit of anger. Boil didn’t know why Blaster/Cody had such items but he had a fair guess who’d disapproved of them enough to fling them on the floor.</p><p>Steeling himself for what he might find next, he headed into Cody’s actual quarters, the door conveniently open.</p><p>“General?”</p><p>Kenobi was fiddling with the Commander’s personal kist. “Boil. I can’t get this damn thing open.” He huffed and gave the lock another frustrating yank.</p><p>“Uhm… you’ll need the code.”</p><p>“Yes I <em>know </em>the combination, Boil. It’s just not working.”</p><p>Boil’s eyebrows went up but he decided not to dwell on why Cody had trusted the jedi with his kist. Stang, even Waxer didn’t know Boil’s combination and he had that di'kut’s number tattooed over his heart. He was about to ask whether there was a particular item in there he needed when the jedi suddenly unclipped his lightsaber from his belt and activated it. The blue thrum of light glowed and Boil shirked back from it instinctively. As much as he was impressed by the jedis’ abilities with such weapons those things in small spaces were liabilities.</p><p>“Sir! Maybe let me have a try before you inadvertently burn right through whatever few personal items the Commander has managed to acquire throughout his life?”</p><p>Kenobi paused and bit his lip in thought.</p><p>“Alright then, Lieutenant.” The blue light disappeared and silence returned to the room. Boil let out a breath, then dropped slowly to his knees in front of the lockpad. He asked the jedi for the combination, then diligently typed it in. A moment later he heard the pleasing sound of the box seals decompressing and sighed with relief.</p><p>Above him Kenobi frowned.</p><p>“Just needed a steady hand, sir” he said vaguely. Although really, if there was one person left on The Duck who didn’t know General Kenobi was currently having a meltdown, he’d dearly like to meet him and shake him by the hand and ask him how he’d managed it. He stood back up and eased himself down on the bed so that the jedi could rummage through the Commander’s <em>personal, private</em> items.</p><p>Kriffing hell, Cody was going to string him up for this when he got back. And Kenobi, too. The two of them rarely disagreed but when they did the whole vode felt it. Then they would somehow make up (Boil suspected sex was involved. There had been briefings. Awkward for everyone briefings) and the 212<sup>th</sup> was back to being the best Battalion in the whole godsdamn Republic.</p><p>He sorely wished the Commander were here right now. He didn’t understand the whole Blaster deception thing and Rex’s half-hearted explanation of ‘training’ seemed woefully inadequate to explain the entire mess that had been unfolding in front of him for the last hour. He suspected the jedi council were behind it. Aside from Kenobi and Commander Ahsoka he had as much time for jedi as he had for jawas. At least jawas just robbed you.</p><p>Kenobi obviously found what he was looking for because he muttered an ‘aha!’ and stopped pillaging the kist. In his hand was the most beautiful looking blaster Boil had ever seen.</p><p>“Now <em>this</em> is Dallorian alloy” the jedi crowed, nonsensically. “And there’s no way you could crack open the Tibana chamber in under 10 seconds and dump a load of  Baradium in there, so I think we can all agree that part of the deception was very poorly constructed.”</p><p>“Sir?”</p><p>Kenobi pointed the gun at him. Boil tensed and raised his hands.</p><p>“I know I look like Cody but…”</p><p>The General frowned, then must’ve understood what Boil was blabbering about because the gun barrel shifted away.</p><p>“Oh! No, my apologies Boil. I wouldn’t…I’m not angry at you…”</p><p>“It’s the face, isn’t it? This is why I wanted to wear my bucket.”</p><p>The jedi got to his feet, still waving the blaster around. “I’m livid at Cody. And Anakin, who I just <em>know</em> was somehow involved in this. And Quinlan Vos is the slyest, Sith-spitting liar I have ever had the displeasure to know.” His eyes suddenly snapped onto Boil “They’re going to end up dead. These kidnappers don’t mess around.” He huffed and then kicked the kist in frustration. Boil didn’t really know what he was talking about but figured unless the jedi got to do some proper venting things were not going to end well for either of them. He absolutely couldn’t have Kenobi back on the bridge or making decisions in his current state of unpredictability and anger. Desperate times.</p><p>“General” he ventured. “May I suggest that you follow me?”</p><p>“Boil?”</p><p>“Sometimes Waxer…sometimes Waxer gets like this….” He waved a gloved hand at the jedi “and there’s a place on the ship I take him to get it out of his system.”</p><p>“I don’t need to vent, Lieutenant.”</p><p>Boil let out a deep audible sigh. It wasn’t an ordinary day so ordinary protocol wasn’t going to cut it. “Sir. I’m not letting you back on the bridge until you vent, regardless of who outranks who. Seriously: you’re gripping a lightsaber in one hand and what I think is a WESTAR 34 in the other and it’s only 9:30 in the morning. Come on.”</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p>After the escape pod hatch sealed shut Boil shuffled down the corridor a little way and settled on the floor against the wall. He placed the jedi’s weapon and comm unit next to him and closed his eyes. The swearing had petered off by the time they’d arrived and it was a strangely docile figure he’d delivered into the pod, so maybe that was a good sign. And if not, if the craziness started up again, well he reckoned he could just press the launch button. When Commander Cody eventually got back from Boonta he could go retrieve his dinii riduur himself. Boil was well and truly done.    </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <em>In which real people are reunited and fake people are thrown in the garbage compactor of memories, where they can keep Rako Hardeen company forever. </em>
</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>If asked to define ‘travelling in style’ Cody would probably have to say that the time they escorted Duchess Satine from Mandalore to Coruscant was how he best understood it. Admittedly there had been giant assassin spider droids, and a brief hostage situation, and his private brutal order to himself to space his feelings because clearly General Kenobi was involved with a beautiful, sophisticated aristocrat and Cody had been reading too many novels about Selkies who got to find love despite being plain creatures from watery worlds. But the décor had been hella fancy and, moons, even the <em>passageways</em> were carpeted.</p><p> </p><p>He was never in a million rotations going to use the term luxury to describe what Hondo Ohnaka was currently inflicting upon them. On top of his presence. And his exuberance. And his notorious changeability. In spite of his whispered reassurance to Cody that he had on the spur of the moment decided to help them escape (<em>“Kenobi is one of my dearest friends”)</em> the Commander took that promise with a gonk droid’s worth of salt.</p><p>But the original plan had gone to stang and at this point anything was better than their situation a day ago, when Cad Bane had turned up at the auction with ‘merchandise’ of his own, clocked General Vos and promptly blown his cover all to sithspit. Ironically it was Bane who persuaded the weasly leader of the kidnapping ring, Meece-Ragg, to add Vos to the catalogue rather than shoot him where he stood. It was, however, too much to hope for that the two of them be sold back to the Republic. Their fates would be in the hands of Count Dooku upon delivery, whom Cody was dismayed to learn had a long-held grudge against Vos after the Shadow betrayed him and left with valuable Separatist intel. He supposed on the upside that cleared up the jedi council’s worries Vos was a traitor. General Kenobi would be happy, although possibly happier if the not-traitor was also a not-corpse when he found out.</p><p> </p><p>Cody glanced over at the prone form of his companion, shackled to the bulkhead of the transporter by his one unbroken arm, head slumped to the side inches away from the Bothan, one of the other passengers in the dank cargo hold of the transport ship. The Senator was curled up on the low bench-no need to handcuff a politician- facing of all things a young Wookie in a cage. Any insane hope Cody had that Hondo’s antics had been planned in advance had been brutally quashed seeing her. Even after the stangshow that was kidnapping Kenobi, Skywalker and Dooku, or even the jedi younglings, Hondo had evidently got back into the people-ransoming business himself- hence the Wookie, Ephshi, and why he was at the auction at all. It was a name that sounded vaguely familiar to Cody, although the only Wookies he recalled meeting were adults during the Kashykk Campaign.</p><p>He apparently fell somewhere between her and the Bothan on the scale of threat: he wasn’t cuffed to the wall, but he did wear a pair of binders. The three guards: a human Cody recognised from the auction floor, a sullen Ubese and an intimidating IG86 Unit shouldn’t in theory have been a problem for a jedi, except the final bay occupant was some kind of freakish lizard with large pale eyes whom Cody had mistaken for an exotic pet for a customer until Meece-Ragg had strolled into the ship and pontificated on just how clever he was to always bring a Force-dampening ysalamir and an ‘impervious-to-mind-control assassin droid’ along with him to the auctions. Cody eyeballed the reptile, still a little incredulous that such a harmless looking creature could incapacitate a jedi, but the truth was three feet across the bay from him, barely conscious and mangled up good thanks to the IG Unit. Vos wasn’t wrong about the kidnappers being paranoid about jedi. Hondo of course thought the Ysalamir was delightful and treated it to some of his peanuts before heading out the door to the hanger deck.</p><p>“When we get out of this, I’m going to feed you to the Wookie” Cody told the animal. “I just want you to know that.” All he got back as a reply was the same unblinking stare as before.  Which was exactly the same response he got from the assassin droid.</p><p> </p><p>The rest of the hold was full of junk: scrap metal, half repaired equipment, a dirty R3 unit with its dome staved in and wiring missing so it was mostly cavity, and some sacks of an obviously oil-based substance judging by the dank stain pool around the bottom. It wasn’t even a traditional disc ship so he was mildly curious where Hondo had got it. Well, he was curious in a ‘since I have literally nothing else to let my mind ponder’ way (except maybe General Kenobi’s pale fingers skittishly tugging at his shoulder clasps during that <em>thing</em> in the escape pod during the destruction of their flagship when they’d finally <em>finally</em>… and thinking about that was going to make him swear and pine and not focus on coming up with an escape plan.)</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p>
  <em>“Moons, Cody” Kenobi panted against his scar “Your armour needs to be off, approximately two years ago…”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cody paused from enthusiastically mouthing at the bristled underside of his jaw and stared at him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Two years?!” he said flatly.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Kenobi winced and clearly regretted his ability to have torpedoed this unexpected culmination of life-threatening escape and desire with his stupid words. Honestly, at this point Gammorean Guards would’ve made better Negotiators. Cody continued to glare at him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Uhm…I have…long been an admirer of your work, Commander…? Since the beginning, really…”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Two. Karking. Years?!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The jedi bit his lip and looked remorseful. “Well, I mean, not every day of it… actually, sometimes you can be quite difficult…”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cody tried not to growl, he really did, but.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Kenobi ploughed on regardless. Cody was reminded of destroyers plummeting nose first into the atmosphere. “Uh…I shouldn’t have said that. Or the thing before. I…uh, it’s probably the tranquilisers.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Commander was calling osik on that deflection straight away. He placed one hand carefully on the jedi’s torso. “Tranquiliser…s? When we got in here I jabbed you with one standard dose, because clearly General Grievous broke some ribs when he kicked you back in the hanger.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yes, but I may have injected myself just before you did, so…”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cody let out a long and incredulous breath.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Do you mean to tell me, in a completely unexpected turnaround from your normal way of dealing with pain, you actually applied medication to yourself?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Kenobi smiled sheepishly. Cody frowned. He then got the horrible feeling there was more to come. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What aren’t you telling me?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Kenobi squeezed his eyes shut and winced. “I did. But I’d also already injected a tranquiliser when we were on the bridge and you were inputting your self-destruct code.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“So, you’ve had triple the recommended dose of sedatives?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I suspect that’s why I feel very numb. Well…” his gaze, which now Cody thought about it, was kind of wide-eyed and unfocused and which he had foolishly, smugly, presumed he had caused “most of me is. Some parts are very much still invigorated.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Unbelievable!” he muttered, rolling his eyes and dodging Kenobi’s lunging mouth, ignoring the disappointed protest that followed it. He stepped out of the man’s space and used his strength to push the jedi onto the fold-down bench. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Sit still” he said, enforcing his instruction with a pointed finger “whilst I go find some sort of antidote. Kriffing hell. Of all the times he chooses now to…”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Behind him there was a faint thud as the jedi keeled comically over onto his side. It did not stop him rambling on or waving his one unpinned arm in the Commander’s general direction, although what he was trying to communicate by both actions was lost on Cody, who returned a minute later from the medstore with an all-purpose flush drug that would at least take the edge off the tranqs, if not entirely sober up the jedi. He managed to capture the flailing arm, roll up Kenobi’s sleeve and inject him again, leaving his hand where it was, wrapped loosely around the pale forearm, too existentially weary to muster up a reason to move it from the di’kut. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>This had gone well. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Through the viewscreen The Negotiator burned in space, an epic firework display of shards of light. That had been his home, the place he associated with comfort and safety and family and now it glowed like a new constellation just outside the viewscreen.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“We’re going to have to get a new ship from Anaxes” he said quietly. “Still, look General, even at the end she’s such a beautiful sight.” He got no reply and his glance confirmed the jedi was slipping into unconsciousness, his eyes fluttering closed. Cody couldn’t help his gaze dropping from his shut eyelids to his mouth, still flush from being kissed.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Well that he was definitely responsible for.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Finally.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Three quiet words drifted out of it. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You’re a distraction.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cody sighed, let go of Kenobi’s arm and moved away to the pod’s control panel to send out the pick-up call to Search and Rescue and contact the rest of the Fleet.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yeah” he replied, heart shuttered and aching. “I know, Sir.”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p>No, the only thing going for them right now was that the kidnappers had hired a Weequay pirate to move their shipment out of the sector. And that pirate was about as trustworthy as a …well Cody had plenty of experience knowing how trustworthy Hondo was- and that was the problem.</p><p> </p><p>From what he’d picked up in his brief time being dragged from holding room to auction block back to holding room and then to the landing pad, there had been some kind of hiccup with the original transport and Hondo had stepped in to offer them transit. This, to Cody, sounded like so much Bantha poodoo that he was willing to bet hard credits the weequays had had something to do with the unexpected mechanical difficulties the original ship was now experiencing. It was a cheap move- but one that could reap rich rewards. Cody and Vos had made a last ditch attempt for freedom, which cost the kidnappers four employees, but ultimately outgunned and out-lizarded (?) they hadn’t got very far and all they got for their trouble was one broken arm (Vos’) and one confiscated knife (Cody’s, which had to be retrieved from the ribcage of a now dead mook.)</p><p>Cody let loose into the Force a brief, anguished flare of existential panic when one pissed off survivor of the skirmish, who’d had the pleasure of meeting Cody’s sledgehammer right hook moments before, raised his blaster over his prone form, but at the last moment his superior screamed at him to remember to adjust the setting to stun. Not that the sleemo looked all that happy about it. Half a rotation and one impromptu change of venue and hiring of new muscle later and he woke to the news they were leaving Boonta. As he was dragged across the landing pad he glanced up at the blue sky where, out of sight and too far away to know he was in peril, his jetii was.   </p><p> </p><p>*</p><p>It took Obi Wan approximately 10 seconds to feel the bond again. He stood stock still in the centre of the escape pod and let his gaze drift around its standardised design as the memories he’d locked away flooded back. They were all the same, these pods. There was the viewscreen window where they’d watched The Negotiator self-destruct, paradoxically beautiful in her ending. There was the ledge on the wall on which Cody had shoved his helmet when they’d first skidded into the pod and launched from the burning Venator, only moments to spare. There was the cupboard in the bulkhead Obi Wan had tumbled a first aid kit from. There was the fold-down rack he leaned against whilst he injected himself, his ribs killing him, his heart racing from barrelling through the ship and staving off panic. He’d scrubbed his face with the hand not holding his torso, so he didn’t see the Commander approach until it was too late and he felt another needle.</p><p>And that was where he’d reached out blindly for his hand, said plaintively “Cody. Cody. That was too close. We nearly didn’t make it out alive this time.” Not knowing why he said it, not expecting the completely overwhelming response of a mouth suddenly on his, hands in his hair, kissing him, kissing him, urgent and clumsy and determined, the steady, long-coveted weight of his Commander bracketing him in so he couldn’t go anywhere even if he wanted to.</p><p>Which, he finally, <em>finally</em> acknowledged, he well and truly didn’t.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Weeks and various calamities, deceptions and epiphanies later, the bond between jedi and Commander thrummed happily, invigorated and eager.</p><p>
  <em>Hello there</em>
</p><p>Obi Wan felt like he’d swallowed a star.</p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Cody sighed, frustrated and bored. Normally he had no problem waiting out tedious situations- kriff, war was often just long stretches of inane boredom interspersed with brief moments of horror and the potential for death, but perhaps something of Blaster’s persona remained, even though he’d shed the Commander’s physical attire. Blaster would be active rather than passive, Blaster would allow his irritability to transform into usefulness. Blaster would poke and poke and create opportunity out of inertia. Blaster would take risks.</p><p>Cody turned slightly to face the guard across the bench.</p><p>“Do you know how long until we get to where we’re going?”</p><p>The guard stood up, came over to the bench and punched Cody right in the face. “I don’t talk to batch-born freaks.”</p><p>Cody’s face throbbed and everything stayed blurry for a minute. He raised his cuffed hands to his head and tentatively checked nothing was broken. Apparently the merchandise could arrive in less than pristine condition and that was just fine.</p><p>Oh well. As the old Ugnaut saying goes: <em>if you fall off your blurg you may as well get back in the saddle as lie in the dirt and wait for it to eat you.</em></p><p>He shifted until he was facing the other guard, since there was no point talking to the IG droid. “Aren’t you a little tall for an Ubese?”</p><p>At first he assumed that he didn’t understand Basic, or was choosing to ignore him, but a moment later the leather helmeted head tilted to the side in a gesture that if a clone had done it meant either <em>what?</em> Or <em>ah, you think you’re funny- well you’re not.</em></p><p>Cody tried to refine his translation by looking more carefully at the mask. The mouth area was griddled, holding some sort of filtration device in place and a dark panel formed an inscrutable visor. He’d never crossed paths with this culture before, which was no surprise since they were notoriously xenophobic and only ventured out from the homeworld to basically bounty hunt or assassinate other people for money. Ubese were just about the absolute opposite of the camaraderie-loving weequay pirates. Hondo was going to have a problem disposing of this one.</p><p>“If you don’t mind me saying so, guard duty seems like a bit of a step down for someone of your people’s talents. What happened? Lose your blood lust? Get kicked out of the bounty hunter’s guild for flirting with the quarry?”</p><p>
  <em>Okay so it was possible Cody wasn’t channelling Blaster but General Kenobi. That was worrying. And hypocritical after all the disapproving glares he’d given his jetii in the past. </em>
</p><p>The Ubesian made a small gesture with his gloved hand.</p><p>“Sorry, I don’t understand...uh, what is it your sign language is called again…?”</p><p>The answer came not, unsurprisingly, from the guard but from the Bothan senator. “Ubenian.” He slowly righted himself into a sitting position and rolled his shoulders to try and loosen his cramped muscles.</p><p>“Senator Se’Lab. How are you feeling?”</p><p>“Sore. Uncomfortable. Depressed. Thanks for asking, though.”</p><p>Cody jabbed a thumb at the guard. “Any chance you know Ubenian?”</p><p>The Bothan shook his head. “Nobody knows Ubenian apart from the Ubese. That’s the whole point of it. Secrecy.”</p><p>“Or speak Ubesian at least?”</p><p>The senator frowned, clearly puzzled at the request. Cody shrugged an explanation, ensuring it was loud enough for the guard to hear.</p><p>“I may want to visit his planet after the war ends for a holiday and I’m not going to pass up making a connection with someone who can hit me up on where all the good beaches are.”</p><p>This earned him an actual muttering from the Ubesian. Unfortunately, Cody didn’t know what it meant and as far as he could tell <em>everything</em> sounded gruff and pissed off coming out of that snouty voice modulator.</p><p>“I’m afraid I can’t help you” the Bothan said, but a moment later the Wookie of all people let out a string of grunts.</p><p>“Ah! Excellent!” the senator said. “She speaks a little Ubesian and I speak Wookie.” He then made a series of very undignified sounds back at the cage and Cody tried not to be embarrassed for the whole human race. He was pretty sure the Wookie understood Basic so this was really just a diplomat showing off. He glanced at the guard who just looked on in placid silence. It was possible Cody should have had another crack at the clone-hating human instead.</p><p>After a minute the Bothan twisted back to face him.</p><p>“She says the Ubese said…well… ‘swimming is for fish.’”</p><p>Cody fixed his gaze back at the masked figure.</p><p>“I didn’t say anything about swimming” he said.</p><p>The Ubesian shrugged.</p><p>Before he could pursue that thought any further the low-level drone of the engines suddenly shifted into a painful grinding as the ship suddenly shuddered to a stop. Both humanoid guards jumped up, blasters out and pointing at the prisoners. Moments later the two extra men came charging through the door into the hold.</p><p>
  <em>Great, now there were five of them. </em>
</p><p>“What’s going on?!” the human guard asked the newcomers.</p><p>“We just got fired upon.”</p><p>“Stang. Who by?”</p><p>“A mother-fierking Huttese patrolship!”</p><p>The other guard joined in the swearing, which Cody could completely understand, although <em>why</em> the Hutts were pissed off made no sense. They were much more likely to turn a blind eye to any war-related kidnappings since they had as much time for the Republic and Separatists in equal measure. The times Kenobi had spoken of Jabba the Hutt he’d always been deferential and with a note of caution and Cody had got the message: Hutts were not to be trifled with. He remembered one story about how a previous mission the jedi had been on had nearly resulted in the Hutts aligning with the Separatists <em>over a stinky baby (Commander Tano’s words.)</em></p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>He tried to imagine what his General might make of these new events. He’d probably smile and say <em>change is an ally, Cody</em>. Di’kut jedi. Well, judging by the ship-wide panic, the faint smell of engine discharge and the fact they were sitting quadducks things had definitely changed. The thing was, you could have all the permits in the world but Boonta was in Huttese space. Cody would’ve felt bad for the kidnappers if he didn’t think they were all going to get vaporised in the next few minutes.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Just then Hondo and Meece-Ragg appeared as well.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>
  <em>Now there were six. Or seven depending on Hondo’s loyalties. </em>
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Cody threw a fruitless glance at the still slumped-over Vos. The Bothan looked rightly frightened and even the ysalamir had stopped pacing and was unmoving. What a time to take a nap. Moons, if the creature didn’t have a name yet Cody was going to christen it Fives. Only the young Wookie seemed calm, her arms folded, and although Cody was obviously no expert at reading Wookie facial expressions if he had to guess he’d go for <em>smug.</em></p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“What’s happening?” he asked her.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>The senator translated her reply.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“She’s ‘merchandise’…?” the Bothan said. “Well we know that, lady. We’re all merchandise according to these foul criminals.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>On the other side of the bay Meece-Ragg and Hondo were pointlessly arguing about whose fault this was rather than doing anything to mitigate the imminent boarding. Cody confirmed there and then what he’d suspected about Meece-Ragg: he was businessman through and through and though he dealt in illegal and immoral trade, he hadn’t the dirty fighting skills that a person needed to survive in that shady underworld for long. If and when the fighting kicked off he wasn’t the primary threat. That would be the IG86 and the Ubese. Kriff, he hoped there weren’t thermal detonators under that jacket.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>He asked the Wookie another question. “Whose merchandise are you?”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>The Wookie smiled and her answer, although incomprehensible, was definitely exuberant. The Bothan’s face confirmed what the Commander had suspected.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Oh my! She says The Hutts. What on earth could that mean?”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>The Wookie Ephsi. The face of the racer Tailer D’Anwari drifted to the forefront of his mind, the guy Rex idolised so much. D’Anwari had talked about a Wookie teenager who he was predicting was going to wipe the track with everyone at the next Boonta swoop race. Hondo had only gone and kidnapped the event’s prize attraction. No wonder they were all in the stang.  </p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Meece-Ragg had obviously also just been made aware of this because his face paled and he clutched at Hondo’s lapels in something like fury mixed with terror.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Oh my gods! You idiotic laser-brained pirate! You kidnapped a champion swoop racer?! The gambling losses alone! You can’t negotiate with those slugs!” They’re going to kill us all for this!</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Cody had to agree.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>One of the guards tried to bring some semblance of calm to the situation, starting by unpeeling his boss from the pirate.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Sir, listen, it’s a patrol ship, not a gunship. That means at most a pilot and three mercenaries as boarders. Yes, they’ll be armed and they’ll be mean but still, that’s only three. There’s four of us plus the assassion droid, the Weequay and his Ubese: we can take them out if we act now.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Meece-Ragg nodded gleefully. “Yes. Yes! And then we get the hell out of Hutt space and never come back. Count Dooku will I’m sure make all of this unpleasantness go away once we deliver the Republic assets. Yes.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>
  <em>So the Ubese was with Hondo after all. That was interesting. If Hondo kept his promise maybe he wouldn’t be a threat. Probably wouldn’t be an ally either, though. </em>
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Why don’t you just hand over the Wookie?” Cody prompted, aiming to sow some discord in the ranks. If he could undermine Meece-Ragg’s lieutenant he might be able to scupper their plans long enough for the Hutt heavies to arrive. He glanced over and was further inspired to notice General Vos stirring and the Bothan whispering an update in his ear.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Because, you filthy lab rat” Meece-Ragg snarled “Hutts have no honour except to other Hutts. Nobody has ever negotiated with a Hutt and lived.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Actually, that’s not true.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>The man scowled but foolishly took the bait, which was fine because Cody just needed to run the clock down.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“And I suppose a clone knows who?”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“I do actually. General Obi Wan Kenobi. Jedi Master, High Commander of the Open Fleet. He and Jabba the Hutt go way back. In fact, I think they might be pen pals.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>It was entirely predictable that this earned him another punch in the face from the same guard as before. Cody spat out blood from his split lip.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“So, if you wrote to Kenobi, he could write to Jabba….”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>And there was the punch in the gut.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Meece-Ragg sidled up to him, leaned down and ranted in his face. Which was fine because Cody wasn’t listening to the words spewing out of the man’s mouth. He was listening to the faint sound of the docking port being breached and assessing the space for close quarters combat. Plus, General Vos had caught his eye and given him a nod. Clearly, he agreed this was their only chance and they were going to make the best of it. The senator was probably going to be little or no help so they were on their own. He risked signing that the jedi take the IG out since he himself was too close to the assassin droid and they were going to have to rely on surprise. Kriff knew how Vos was going to get out of his cuff first, but he had to trust that nod and as much as the Shadow was annoying, nosy and smirked knowingly far too much, Kenobi trusted in his abilities- so Cody would too.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Do you know what the galaxy’s problem is? It’s the jedi.” Meece-Ragg continued, fatally wasting his own time. “I for one will be glad when they’re subdued and made to serve the new Separatist regime. Stealing children, indoctrinating them to believe they are special, that they can just go around system after systems waggling their magic fingers and getting everyone to do what they want. It’s unnatural is what it is!”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Cody had never seen Kenobi waggle his fingers. Next batchday that’s what he was going to ask for.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>The three human guards had positioned themselves around whatever cover the bay provided, out of sight of the main door. One was crouched by a crate, another tucked behind the broken R3 unit and the third behind the cracked open door to the vac-tube. The assassin droid, its body well armoured against all but point-blank blaster bolts, stayed where it was across from Cody, and the Ubese, too far away from the R3 unit and scrap to have any real cover, shifted back so the shadows mostly concealed him.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Cody tensed and shifted his weight forward, eyes on the human guard he’d opted to incapacitate the moment the doors opened. It was going to be a bit of a reach, and he was still cuffed so…but it was the best of a bunch of foolhardy options. Distantly he acknowledged the possibility that this was probably where he was going to die.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Unbidden, the memory of his jetii emerging from a transport ship after the Rako Hardeen deception was over, all clean robes and shiny hair and very much alive after Cody had been informed he was dead, sprang into his mind. That sudden bloom of joy- that even the underlying frustration at the pointless lies involved couldn’t temper- and Cody was never more thankful in his entire life for his bucket to hide his face, even though the way Kenobi’s eyes snapped to him and lingered suggested the jetii’s magic bond thing was reaching across the space between them. He yanked his shields up and hoped he’d been fast enough to conceal his emotions, at least from the General.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>But it was too late for him to fool himself. That was the moment he finally accepted he was so hopelessly gone on him. So gone.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“And another thing…”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Meece-Ragg’s rant was cut off as the doors slid open, Cody gathered up that ember of joy, shoved it into the centre of his being, launched himself from the bench, and all hell broke loose.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>*</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>As he barrelled into the unlucky guard and they both hit the deck hard, the commander felt the sear of blaster bolts from the assassin droid shear over his head. They buried themselves in the first intruder who crumpled in a heap at the door, a quickly-learned lesson to the others not to burst in. Cody smashed his joined hands across his own victim’s face, rolled off him into a turn and kicked hard at his wrist, sending the blaster spiralling away. The guard groaned but stayed where he was.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>From the corner of his eye Cody saw a dark wing flurry across the room and fall heavily over the IG Unit, temporarily blinding it. It took his brain a moment to unpack the sight: despite the ysalamir, General Vos had somehow Force flung a large drape of tarp and bought them a precious reprieve from the droid’s deadly guns. One of the boarders saw the advantage, ducked around the door and picked off the guard who’d punched Cody earlier on but she was repaid in a burst of blaster bolts- none of which, he noticed, came from Hondo or the Ubese. In fact, Hondo was cowering in a corner with his hands over his head, telegraphing helplessness and the fact he wasn’t a threat. The Ubese, in what made absolutely no sense whatsoever, stepped into the light, looked straight at Cody, and made another Ubenian secret hand gesture.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>
  <em>What the kriff, nerf-herder? You know I don’t speak finger waggle.</em>
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>At his wrists his binders clicked neatly open.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh.</em>
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>He dived for the loose gun and fired in the direction of the kidnapper concealed behind the gutted R3 Unit, but he was now out in the open with no cover. He was more thankful than he could say that the kidnappers had kept him in his plastoid armour, as a stray bolt scorched his pauldron but didn’t find anything organic to bite into. He stumbled back to his feet and hurled himself to the side, getting him out of the firing line but bringing him up close to the IG Unit, which had disentangled itself from the tarp and was swinging its blasters round onto Vos and the senator.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Don’t kill the merchandise!” Meece Ragg screamed, emerging from his cover to gesticulate frantically at the droid. The Ubese picked him off and his smoking corpse fell with a dull thud onto the floor.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>The assassin droid, no longer leashed by its employer and clearly in survival mode, rose to its full height and Cody watched in horror as its torso rotated and its long spindly arms spread out at 180 degrees. Out of nowhere a large piece of plating flew in front of the ducking jedi and senator, shielding them from the barrage of bolts. Cody spun back to look at the Ubese bounty hunter, who had one hand extended out in front of him and the other firing his own gun at the IG86. He caught sight of the kidnapper by the vactube leaning out and retraining his weapon on the turncoat, clearly optimistic about a kill shot as the bounty hunter had his back to him- but the Ubese fired behind himself without even looking and the man dropped dead.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sithspit this guy was good</em>
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Cody was dimly aware that the Hutt boarders hadn’t once seemed to fire on him, Hondo, the Ubese or the other prisoners, which implied they knew who they were here for. The two by the door kept their guns roaring on the final human guard. He tried desperately to decode what this meant but everything was happening too fast around him.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>
  <em>Also, judging by that binder unfastening thing- this guy was clearly a jedi.</em>
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p><em>Also, unmistakably, his jetii. </em>   </p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh by all the karking moons…</em>
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“General!”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p> The Ubese had ducked down and was continuing to fire on the assassin droid but the latter’s armour, resilient to the bolts, rendered it futile as anything but a pinning exercise. It was going to take something much more powerful to bring it down. Cody was near enough that he could tackle it but it would be a pointless gesture and almost certainly get him killed. He watched it shift and jerk, as if something was trying to yank it, figured out a moment later it was the General, that hand outstretched in a classic gesture of Force Pull, but the IG Unit had already clamped itself in place and was rooted to the spot. It pounded out bolts at its attacker and forced him to take cover.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Cody! R3 unit!” yelled a very familiar voice. He had heard that voice on so many battlefields he’d lost count, but his General’s instructions were always sound, always full of trust that his Commander would understand.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Cody swung his gaze round to the broken droid. It was on the other side of the room to his jetii.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Catch!”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>He blinked and frowned as something small and cylindrical shot out of the droid’s staved in dome and Force flew towards him. Instinctively he reached up, thrust out his hand and his fingers curled around something very familiar. A lightsaber.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>He didn’t even remember activating the blade but he must have because a searing warm blue of light burst into existence. He swung it down in a low arc and watched it cut effortlessly through the assassin droid’s chest, severing both arms and burning the metal to molten slag. The sheared off part of the body, head and all, slid onto the ground and the noise of gunfire abruptly quietened. It had taken one stroke. Cody marvelled at the thing in his hands, the object he’d held so often but never once used. It felt comforting and somehow alive.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“I give up!” a panicked voice quipped from somewhere near the vactube, breaking the spell. The one remaining kidnapper emerged with his hands up. The two Hutt boarders entered the bay and quickly manhandled him into submission. A thunk indicated that the large piece of metal that had been shielding the prisoners had been lowered to the ground and Cody caught a reassuring glimpse of Vos, the Bothan and Wookie all safe and well. Even Hondo seemed to have survived.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“You cut it close!” Vos called out cheerfully.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“I happen to think concocting an elaborate rescue that involves locating and engaging Hondo’s services, persuading both a Wookie swoop racer and the Hutts to help out, acquiring a feasible disguise, passing a very thorough body patdown to make sure I didn’t have anything on me except a blaster, making sure my Ubese <em>and </em>Ubenian would pass muster <em>and</em> providing Hondo with some drugged peanuts to incapacitate a ysalamir all within 48 hours is pretty respectable. You are all, if I might take a moment to boast, well and truly rescued, are you not?”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Cody had missed that voice. Also that ridiculous vocabulary. When the General finally removed his helmet and he saw the slightly sweaty, happy face underneath he burst into a smile and dropped his tired shebs onto a nearby bench.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Hello Obi Wan” he said. “Long time no see.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Commander” came the wry reply, all arched eyebrow and fondness.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Nice disguise.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>That earned him the galaxy’s biggest eye-roll- which was new as that was usually his move.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Again with the swimming critique?” Cody remarked blithely. He watched the Bothan and the now uncuffed Vos moving over to check all the dead people were properly dead, then conversing with the Hutt boarders, leaving the General and he with some privacy. “You should know there are plenty of things <em>you</em> enjoy that I’m not that fond of.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Such as?”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Tea.” <em>Ah, kark it. He’d nearly died.</em> “Half-hearted celibacy.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Kenobi tilted his head. “Speaking of jedi matters, you should know that now this is all done I am finally going to Ossus on meditative retreat.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“That’s good.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>The jedi smiled and added “You should be my pilot.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“I should?”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Well, part of the Duck’s hanger fell on my new Et3 and crushed it so yes. I’ll need a lift.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“It’s possible I rushed into things with that ship.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“I do indeed hold you responsible. It’s all in my report.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Cody nodded.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“There’s a lake by the cabin.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>He laughed softly. “Ah. And what will you do whilst I swim?”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Kenobi paused before finally answering. “Drink tea and watch you swim” he said lightly, but he held Cody’s gaze for too long and then his eyes slid up and settled on Cody’s scar. Cody swallowed thickly.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>
  <em>Well. Well that was…promising.</em>
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>
  <em>But still. </em>
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“You said I was a distraction. In the pod.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“I meant from the view. I couldn’t see the ship self-destruct because you were in the way.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>
  <em>oh</em>
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“So? Come with me?”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Yeah” he managed idiotically. “Okay.” But then, because he was stanged if he was going to relinquish all of Blaster’s bravado he pointed at the jedi’s outfit and added “but let’s agree first of all for the rest of the war: no more disguises. No hardened criminals…” He waited for Kenobi’s face to acknowledge his meaning then continued “No bounty hunters, no Bad Batch commanders, definitely no versions of Rex in 212<sup>th</sup> armour. Have I accounted for them all?”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“You forgot the swoop team man on Bespin.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“None of him either.” He nodded decisively, stood, retrieved his long absent bucket from where the kidnappers had left it on a shelf, and pushed it down firmly on his head. “Then maybe, Obi Wan…” he let the name linger between them “I’ll consider finishing what I started in the escape pod. Since someone told me the cabin on Ossus has an incredible bed.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>He sauntered over to the bay doors and jabbed them open, without looking back- because he was Marshall Commander of the Fleet, Godsdamnit and he deserved nice things. And if the nice thing was a complete di’kut hot mess of a man who spent most of his life recklessly sassing his way through the war-torn galaxy in a dressing gown, well, Cody was willing to concede he was the biggest di’kut of all to want that.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em></em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The mattress was as large and as accommodating as Master Luminara had promised.</p><p>When they eventually made it that far.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Cody had worn civilian clothes down to the planet and when Obi Wan had raised his eyebrows at the attire Cody had said meaningfully “I’m not just a soldier” as if the remembering of this was part of a creed he was wholly committing the rest of his life to.</p><p> </p><p>Obi Wan nodded in some kind of shared sentiment. “Indeed. And I am not just a jedi.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>They’d sat lazily on the decking with their trousers rolled-up to their knees, paddling their feet into the cool water of the lake. Obi Wan had filled him in on Hondo’s involvement (“he tried to charge the Republic ‘rescue fees’ you know. Typical.”) and Cody had filled in his end of the story, as well as the stangshow that was GAR training and he and Rex having to keep up the Commander Blaster charade- but eventually their small talk couldn’t compete with their blank happiness at just being in each other’s company, the surroundings so tranquil and picturesque. Cody kept getting distracted by the way the sunlight dappled over his jetii’s light tunic so he gave up trying to ignore it and leaned in until his face was resting gently against Obi Wan’s warm shoulder blade. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m going to promote Boil to Captain” he said quietly. “As well as taking care of you during your…moment he’s tamed that cat.”</p><p>“Well I’m going to demote Anakin. I hear all of this was mostly his idea.”</p><p>Cody grinned into his neck. “I suspect that will actually end this war much quicker.”</p><p>“Astute as always, Commander.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Obi Wan let him stay like that for a while then turned and slowly and reverently kissed Cody’s maddening scar. When he shifted back to look properly into the Commander’s gold-flecked brown eyes he was once again struck with just how breath-taking the man was.</p><p>“Cody. Cody” was all he could manage.</p><p> </p><p>Cody grinned wolfishly and nipped at his mouth. Obi Wan kissed him back, fiddled with a button on Cody’s shirt and slipped his hand inbetween, splaying his palm over the place where he’d seen those two lines of tattoo: Rex’s designation and the longer string of figures. He ghosted his fingers blindly over the area and asked “I’ve always wondered about these.”</p><p>“Rex” came a breathy reply between another kiss. “And co-ordinates. Kamino.”</p><p>“Kamino?” This surprised Obi Wan, because although his home planet was by default significant to Cody it seemed an odd thing to memorialise.</p><p>Cody’s mouth moved to his jetii’s jaw, sensory flashbacks of the time in the pod distracting both of them for the next few moments. “Plus, a date stamp” he added when he could.</p><p>“For when?”</p><p>“When I first saw you there.”</p><p> </p><p>And then Obi Wan was being tipped back onto the decking, small talk, view and tattoo decoding all pushed aside for the new and astounding sensation that was Cody shifting on top of him, sliding his tunic up, running his hands over his pale torso.  </p><p> </p><p>Obi Wan gazed up at him and smirked. When he had the audacity to say “Very well, I surrender” Cody nearly tumbled him into the lake for good measure. Instead he rolled his eyes, gently kissed him and muttered, low and impossibly fond, “I love you too but let’s reminisce about wells after, Obi Wan. After.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The End</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you to everyone who kindly took the time to leave kudos and/or comments. Much obliged.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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